BRAVE BROOKE AND KYLE SPEAK OUT We lost but of
First time parents have told of their heartbreak after their son was stillborn on Boxing Day.
Brooke Wallace and her fiancé Kyle Smith were delighted back in August when they found they were expecting their first child.
But that joy soon turned to fear and worry when they were told extra fluid was found at the back of their baby’s neck at the routine 12 week scan.
They were offered CVS (Chorionic Villus Sampling) to check if their child had either Trisomy 13, Trisomy 18 or Trisomy 21.
After a few worrying days, they were given the devastating news that their baby had Trisomy 18, otherwise known as Edwards Syndrome.
The genetic disorder is caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 18th chromosome.
It is not inherited and there is no treatment. The majority of people with Edwards Syndrome die during pregnancy or live for a short period of time afterwards.
Brooke said: “This put us in a really horrible situation and it was extremely hard for both of us.
“We decided we wanted to carry on with the pregnancy as long as our son was comfortable in my womb.
“We were going to give him a chance and let him decide his fate. We were closely monitored with scans every two to three weeks.”
The test also found they were expecting a boy, who the Elderslie couple named Hunter Jon Ryan Smith.
Brooke, 20, said: “We weren’t going to find out the gender but because we knew we could lose him early, we wanted to know. He was the first boy in five generations on my mum’s side.
“Getting Hunter’s diagnosis absolutely broke both of us and our families but we always tried our best to remain strong and positive.
“It opened our eyes and make us appreciate for everything. In the time during my pregnancy we made so many memories. We had a maternity photoshoot, a shower of hope rather than a baby shower, a 4D scan and many more things to capture the amazing time we had with our son for.
“We appreciated every minute.”
On December 23, Brooke stopped feeling Hunter move and she and Kyle, 22, went to the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s maternity unit.
“It’s almost like all my hope had left me that