‘Ollie was besotted with his sister’
Lucy Godding, 40, lives in Chandler’s Ford with her husband Nick, 42, and children Ollie, 11, and Alfie, six.
When Chloe was born in May 2012, she lit up our lives. My husband Nick, then 32, and I were already parents to Ollie, 20 months, and he was besotted with his baby sister.
In May 2015, we visited Portugal, three weeks before Chloe’s third birthday. We went to the beach and swam in the sea on our first, idyllic day there. But on the second day, my world changed.
After a day at the beach, we read stories, cuddled on the sofa, and I tucked Chloe
into bed with a kiss. ‘Love you to the stars and back,’ I told her.
But two hours later, I checked on Chloe and found her face-down. Her lips were blue and she was unresponsive. Being a nurse, I knew first aid, and as I tried desperately to resuscitate her, Nick called an ambulance, but I just knew – my sweet little girl was pronounced dead.
After a post-mortem and inquest, the cause of Chloe’s death was given as sudden unexplained death in childhood (SUDC). Telling Ollie, then four, was devastating. He couldn’t understand why his baby sister was gone. Nor could I.
In March 2016, 10 months after losing Chloe, I gave birth to Alfie. We thought of Chloe every day, but
Alfie was a ray of sunshine
at such a dark time. Ollie was fiercely protective of his little brother and when we got involved in a fundraiser for SUDC UK – a charity that helped us to come to terms with Chloe’s death – Ollie was desperate to contribute. He helped to organise bake sales, charity balls, and even took part in a 35-mile bike ride.
Since losing Chloe, Ollie, now 11, has raised £30,000 in her memory, and we’re setting up Chloe’s Corner, a charity supporting SUDC UK and local projects. Alfie, now six, recently helped Ollie organise a soft-play fundraiser – I’m so proud of my boys. Chloe may be gone, but thanks to her brothers, her memory lives on.
To find out more about Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, visit sudc.org.uk