Father tells of heartache over sudden death of son aged two

A GRIEVING dad has told of the day he woke up to find his son was dead after a battle to overcome severe seizures.

Little Noa Williams had suffered fits since he turned one. By the time he was two they had increased in severity and frequency – although medics had assured mum and dad Lowri and Aled he would grow out of them by the time he was six.

Now, nearly two years since they lost Noa, Aled and Lowri have established a charity in his memory.

Aled, 29, from Ynysybwl, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said a pattern of fitting emerged.

“Lowri and I became very worried as Noa’s seizures began to increase and also became more severe,” he said.

“But we were told he would grow out of the seizures by the time he turned six.”

Noa had a serious seizure where he nearly lost his life – he was unable to breathe and without oxygen support he would have died.

At this point the couple were “massively shaken up” and “frightened”.

They began to feel alone in the battle to discover what was wrong with Noa.

It was September 23, 2015, that the couple’s worst fears became a reality.

“On this day, Lowri felt uneasy about Noa and said she felt something was not quite right with him,” said Aled.

“He was very warm and under the weather.

“The next day, as Noa’s monitor turned on, I heard the sound of him playing.

“But then I woke up again at around 8am to silence, which was unusual.

“I walked into Noa’s room and as my eyes scanned down his body I noticed purple spots on the back of his legs. slightly

“To my horror I screamed to my wife that Noa was dead.”

Aled placed him on the floor to begin CPR. He also asked his wife to call 999.

The ambulance service arrived 15 minutes later and took over from Aled.

But Noa was pronounced dead an hour later – it was confirmed he had died not long after Aled heard him on the monitor at 5.30am.

The cause of death was defined as sudden infant death of a two-year-old.

“Lowri and I were both frozen, confused and angry,” said Aled.

“Our home had now become a prison cell where we had no escape.

“We were lucky that friends and family took us in to live with them for the first week and they also helped to settle us back into the house at a later date.

“We decided we would battle this and keep going for Noa, and with the help of friends, family and the whole of Ynysybwl, especially Ynysybwl RFC, we were able to begin to rebuild our lives.”

The couple decided to set up a charity in memory of Noa.

And they also wanted to remember the brother of one of Aled’s best friends who passed away a month before Noa after experiencing an unexpected brain haemorrhage.

James Lloyd, also from Ynysybwl, was a fit and healthy 22-year-old who had a huge passion for music.

His sudden death left the community shocked.

“My friend Daniel and I supported each other through our bereavement and spoke about what we would like from the charity,” said Aled.

“Our main aim was to give back to the community that was supporting us, and still is to this day.

“Ynysybwl is small in size but it’s also a very passionate sporting village, so we decided to give back to the sporting community in the memory of Noa and James.”

The Noa J Charitable Trust relies on donations to survive, and the families are planning many events to raise funds and organise activities for the public to attend. It will work to sponsor and help support sporting clubs and facilities across Wales.

Aled said: “As a family, we are now in a much better place with baby number two on the way.

“She is due to be born on August 20.

“Lowri and I are both delighted and excited and are hoping that we get to see our little princess grow up into a beautiful woman and be parents to another wonderful child.”

For more information about the Noa J Charitable Trust, visit the website at noajcharitabletrust.co.uk or you can also email enquiries@ noajcharitabletrust.co.uk or call 07375 064161.