Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tragic baby couple tell of heartbreak and grief
Exclusive If your baby stops breathing
A grieving mum and dad have recounted the heartbreaking chain of events after finding their baby lifeless in his cot.
Natalie Spicer and Luke Coyle battled in vain to revive three-monthold son Harvey as 999 operators gave CPR advice on the phone.
Paramedics arrived minutes later at their Canterbury home but delivered the devastating news that their fit and healthy baby was dead.
The couple are now campaigning for changes in the law to see basic first aid procedures taught to all new parents.
Baby Harvey’s death remains a mystery and is being treated as a case of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids).
But Miss Spicer and Mr Coyle, who also have a 19-month-old daughter, Alysia, were initially treated as suspects.
Officers quizzed them in hospital as their son lay dead in another room, while police specialists were also called in to check Alysia for signs of mistreatment.
The couple even had little Harvey christened in the hospital chapel as officers stood alongside.
Miss Spicer, 23, told the Gazette: “We felt like we were in a bubble – we still do. It all happened so fast, we were shell-shocked.
“He was a perfectly normal boy, perfectly healthy. He could sit up. He could smile. He was developing a little personality.
“We had been following all the advice the midwives gave us. We put him to bed lying on his back and so on.”
On May 3 the couple noticed Harvey had not wanted to feed as usual in the late hours.
At about 3am Mr Coyle woke and checked on his son.
The 21-year-old landscape gardener said: “I picked him up in my arms and it was then that I knew something was wrong.
“I rocked him in my arms. Usually he would wake or at least stir. But he looked lifeless. I instantly checked for a pulse. I couldn’t feel anything.”
Miss Spicer continued: “I woke to hear Luke shouting, ‘He isn’t breathing!’
“I rang 999, knowing something was seriously wrong, but still not wanting to believe it.
“They said put him on a hard sur- face, so we laid him on the bedroom floor. They said tilt his head upwards, then cover his mouth and nose with your mouth and breath.
“You’re meant to put three fingers on the chest and push. They were saying if you break the ribs don’t worry.
“It was terrifying. I didn’t know any of this. I was panicking. Adrenaline was going.”
Mr Coyle added: “You have no idea if you’re doing it right.
“They told us to look for signs his chest was rising but you don’t know how much pressure to apply or what exactly you’re looking for.”
Despite further attempts at life-saving by paramedics, who arrived at their home in Lancaster Road shortly after, Harvey could not be revived.
They followed the ambulance to hospital, where police took statements.
“I can’t really describe that because we were just in shock,” said Miss Spicer.
“The hardest thing was having the police follow us everywhere at the hospital. I know they have to investigate, and I know there are some bad people out there, but we weren’t able to have a private moment.
“They were there when we had him christened. I understand but it was incredibly hard, nonetheless.”
On May 4 they went home, leaving their son at the hospital. Police told them they were taking no further action.
Miss Spicer said: “They said it could take six months for us to find Immediately call 999. Check the baby’s airway is not blocked and if it is, clear it out.
Start CPR. Breathe in and place your lips around the baby’s mouth and nose to form an airtight seal or close the baby’s nose with your fingers and make a seal around the mouth only.
Blow steadily into the mouth until the infant’s chest rises. Remove your mouth and allow the chest to fall. Repeat four times more.
Give 30 chest compressions by placing two fingertips of your lower hand on the centre of the baby’s chest. Press down vertically on the breastbone, and press the chest down by at least one-third of its depth.
Release the pressure without moving your fingers from their chest. Allow the chest to come back up fully – this is one compression. Repeat 30 times, at a rate of about twice a second.
Now give two rescue breaths. Carry on giving 30 chest compressions followed by two rescue breaths for as long as you can, or until help arrives.
Occasional gasps of air are inadequate to sustain life and should be ignored.
If the baby starts breathing normally again, stop CPR and put them in the recovery position.
out what happened to Harvey.
“I was on the phone to the coroner’s office every day.
“They say they may never know. They’ve taken various tests. It’s been put down as Sids.
“But our concern is obviously for Alysia. Is there something there that we don’t know about?
“It has implications if we try for a brother or sister for Alysia too. It could have implications for grandchildren.”
Little Harvey’s body was finally released after several weeks and a funeral was held earlier this month.
Mr Coyle, who was able to see the body and say a final, private, goodbye, said: “It’s something that we’ll never quite come to terms with. It will stay with us.”