Baby born in hospice as mum visits his dying sister
NURSES at a hospice ended up delivering a baby when visiting mum Lauren Doherty went into labour.
Little Charlie Greenwood’s birth has been hailed as a ray of hope at a dark time as his sister Gracie, who is only 18 months old, is terminally ill with a brain tumour.
Mum Lauren, 22, who was eight days overdue, was spending time with Gracie on a respite visit at the hospice when she suddenly started having rapid contractions.
Lauren, of Rochdale, went to hospital, but as soon as she arrived, the contractions slowed right down and she went back to Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley.
But, not long after Gracie had gone to bed, Lauren’s contractions became so intense that she didn’t feel able to make it back to the hospital.
Instead, palliative care nurse Louise Leach and a midwife rallied round to help Lauren deliver 9lb 3oz Charlie on a sofa in one of the hospice’s family rooms.
Lauren added: “Derian House were amazing, I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
Hospice chief executive Georgina Cox said: “It was such a lovely surprise to welcome little Charlie into the world here at Derian House – the first birth in our 24-year history. Congratulations to Lauren, Zak and, of course, big sister Gracie. Charlie’s arrival is a true symbol of hope in the darkest of times. The pure joy on the faces of his family – and especially Gracie, who loves to kiss and cuddle her brother – is a joy to see.
“Louise certainly didn’t expect to be acting as a midwife when she arrived on duty.”
Gracie, who lives with mum Lauren and dad Zak, 26, seemed perfectly healthy when she was born, and even hit her milestones early.
But when she was around nine months old, Lauren noticed the usually confident little girl had become clingy, and would fall over if she tried to walk or crawl.
Two months later Lauren and Zak received the devastating diagnosis that Gracie had an extremely rare brain tumour, which had been growing since before she was even born.
The youngster has undergone gruelling bouts of chemotherapy at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, but the tumour is so aggressive that Lauren and Zak have been told than no more can be done to save her.
Lauren said: “When I tell people she’s poorly they don’t believe it, because she doesn’t act like she’s poorly - she just gets on with it. I don’t know how she does it, if I’d been through what she has, I’d still be in bed.”