COUPLE’S HELP FOR OTHERS REWARDED

A couple who were helped through the heartache of losing their baby daughter are to help support other parents through the same traumatic experience.

Steph Archbold and Phil Capewell, from Southwick, lost their daughter Amelia when she was just 12 minutes old after she was born at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Steph, 25, who is an adult social worker, and Phil, 29, a Nissan worker, had been told at their 20-week scan that Amelia had a series of conditions and would not survive, with the couple deciding to go on with the pregnancy and spend as much time as they could with their girl.

They were supported by the Washington-based 4Louis charity, with the couple donating £2,970 to fund its memory box project through a funday and a series of other efforts, with another £95 on its way to the organisation thanks to a recent cake sale.

Their own memory box helped them gather mementoes including footprints and a camera so they could capture photos to keep.

Now the couple has gifted a further amount of more than £650 collected through a family fun day at Fulwell Methodist Church to the hospital’s maternity unit to help it with its wish list of items to help families.

When Steph arrived to present the funds, she was surprised as the team at City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust in turn decided to recognise her for her dedication to help others.

Janet Griffin, directorate manager for obstetrics and gynaecology at the trust, said: “We can’t thank Steph enough for this very generous donation.

“Losing a baby is a devastating time for families and for the team here at the maternity unit.

“The work that Steph and her family have done to help other mums and babies and to preserve Amelia’s memory is incredible and is so very much appreciated by everyone here at City Hospitals Sunderland.”

Steph, who is originally from South Shields, said: “We wanted to do something because they were amazing when we had Amelia and that wasn’t just in the delivery suite, it was right the way through.

“We can’t thank them enough for the kind of experience we had, because we knew what was happening, but they found the positives.”

Sunderland Royal Hospital Maternity department consultant Helen Cameron, left, receives donation boxes from Steph Archbold.

Sunderland Royal Hospital Maternity department Directorate Manager Janet Griffin, right, receives a handmade collage from Steph Archbold.