I’ll always love son who was doomed before he was born

SINCE SAYING GOODBYE I MISS HIM EVERY DAY, SAYS MOTHER OF STILLBORN THOMAS

AT the tender age of 20, Jamie Alton received the news every mum-to-be dreads – that the son she was carrying had no chance of surviving his birth.

Now 22, Jamie, from Braunstone, recalls her happiness at being pregnant, safe in the knowledge she could count on the support of her family and close friends.

But as the pregnancy progressed, complications amassed.

She said: “I was very unwell. I was always sick, always at the hospital.

“Throughout the whole pregnancy, I thought something wasn’t right. There were barely any kicks, nothing.”

At 23 weeks pregnant, she went for a scan at Leicester General Hospital and was told that they could not detect her child’s kidneys or lungs.

“I just broke down in tears and cried,” she said. “My sister and nan gave me advice when they were at the hospital with me.

“The hospital said I could either go full term and he dies, or go for the needle to stop his heart and have him within a few days.”

She said there was zero chance of her child’s survival if she went full term, so she took the heart-wrenching decision to stop the pregnancy and have an early birth.

A week later, on January 21, 2018, Thomas Lee Allton was stillborn, weighing just 1lb 8oz.

Jaimie was allowed to share the same room as her child for about a week after the delivery.

“I didn’t want to hold him at first as I was so heartbroken,” she said. “But my sisters and my son’s godmother told me to hold him or I’d regret it.

“Since saying goodbye, I miss him every day.”

I didn’t want to hold him at first as I was so heartbroken

After that week and one last hug, Jamie said goodbye to Thomas.

A funeral was held for him on March 6, 2018 at Gilroes Cemetery, where everyone was asked to wear blue. Jamie said she will always love Thomas and will always do her best to make him proud.

Howver, she has been unable to afford a plot or a headstone for Thomas. Now, after giving birth to a daughter, she wants to raise enough money to finally give her son a resting place. “He’s stuck in a box at the moment,” she said. “I just want somewhere to visit so his baby sister can see him, too.” A GoFundMe page has been created to help fund a headstone and plot. Jamie has been told it will cost about £2,000.

If you wish to donate to the page, see:

Jamie Alton, pictured with Thomas