The mother saved by her unborn girl
Heartbreak of nursery worker who survived crash because of her bump – but lost baby
WHEN mother-to-be Louise Abbott survived a horror car smash it came at a terrible cost.
The nursery worker, who was 25 weeks pregnant when a lorry driver veered across the road into her, was told her baby bump had taken the impact of the collision.
The unborn infant, doctors said, had died from a fractured skull – and, hours later, traumatised Mrs Abbott had to give birth to baby Layla because her own injuries were too severe for a caesarean.
She said: ‘The crash, finding out Layla had died and then giving birth to her is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
‘It is almost impossible to put into words the effect it has had on me and my husband Laurence.
‘We go through a full mix of emotions each day knowing Layla should still be part of our family and thinking “what if?” – even though the events were clearly out of our control.’
Mrs Abbott, 28, has now received an undisclosed financial settlement to pay for the specialist therapies and support she is continuing to receive after her ordeal.
She was being taken to a wedding party in October 2016 by a work friend when truck driver Leroy Margolis overtook another lorry at 69mph.
He lost control at a junction and smashed into Mrs Abbott’s car, with a witness describing his driving as ‘suicidal’. The former Lloyds banker was jailed for two years last October for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
After the crash, doctors told Mrs Abbott she may never have children because of her injuries. But she and her husband, 30, welcomed daughter Avery into their lives in September last year.
Mrs Abbott, of Finchingfield, near Braintree, Essex, said: ‘At first we felt guilty because of Layla but Avery was not a replacement for Layla.
‘Layla will also be part of our family. Avery will know all about her big sister but we will always be sad that they never got to meet each other and grow up with one another, forming the bonds and friendships sisters should.’ She added: ‘Baby Layla had little nails and hair and she was fully formed, fully developed, ready to be born the next day.
‘Now when we speak about it, we realise that, if it wasn’t for Layla, maybe I wouldn’t be alive today – and little Avery wouldn’t have been born, and I wouldn’t be here to have more children in the future.
‘Because of the extra blood I had in me due to my pregnancy, and because Layla cushioned the bump, I wouldn’t have lived had it not been for her.
‘I will never forget those words, “I’m sorry, your baby has died.”
‘It’s bittersweet. We’ve bought a special book to give to Avery, when she’s old enough to understand that she once had a big sister, who just had to go to another place.’ The Abbotts have joined the serious injury lawyers at Irwin Mitchell who helped them get compensation from insurers, using Baby Loss Awareness Week to promote the support available to families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a child.
Tracey Storey, a partner at the firm, said: ‘It may have been two years since Layla’s death but the pain and loss Louise and Laurence continue to experience is still understandably extremely raw.
‘While no amount of money will ever make up for what has happened, we are pleased that Louise has been able to access the support she needs so she, Laurence and their family can try to look to the future the best they can while never forgetting Layla.
‘We would like to thank the insurers for the compassion and empathy they have shown all along in wanting to support the family. Baby Loss Awareness Week is an important time for reflection but also to promote the help available to families who have suffered the heartbreak of losing a child.
‘Layla’s death also vividly highlights the need for drivers to take care at all times so other innocent road users don’t have to suffer like Louise and Laurence have.’
Margolis, 29, from Wandsworth, south-west London, was also handed a three-year driving ban to take effect upon his release.
‘Layla will always be part of our family’