New baby a blessing for tragic William’s parents
THIS newborn baby will never know his big brother William after his tragic and avoidable death from sepsis.
But Arthur Mead is bringing hope and purpose to his parents Melissa and Paul as they grieve for their first son.
William died aged only 12 months of blood poisoning in 2014 following a chest infection. GPs, out-of-hours services and a NHS 111 call handler were criticised for failing repeatedly to spot the symptoms of sepsis.
As she cradled Arthur yesterday, Mrs Mead said: ‘He is a blessing. He gives us a reason to put one foot in front of the other.
‘He gives us something to look forward to and a future whereas grief is very much in the present and past. It is love with no place to go. But to bear so much pain is to bear so much love. We see him as a gift from William – he would have loved to have a brother.’
Arthur, whose middle name is William, was born at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro on Tuesday. His birth weight of 7lb 11oz was the same as William.
Mrs Mead, 29, and her husband Paul, 32, hope she can leave hospital today to take Arthur home to Penryn, Cornwall. Just a week before he died, William had taken his first steps. Since losing him, Mrs Mead has campaigned tirelessly and gained changes to the way doctors screen for the blood poisoning condition.
This month, ministers agreed to fund a national campaign to raise awareness of the symptoms after a Daily Mail campaign alongside Mrs Mead. She said: ‘William will always be part of our family.
‘Arthur will grow up to love and honour his memory but it is sad he will never meet his big brother.’
To donate to the Sepsis Trust in William’s memory go to: www.justgiving.com/williamoscarmead