Midwife's help for families after her own baby tragedy

STEPH Wild opened the boot of her car and gently placed her shopping bags inside. She couldn't wait to hang her new baby clothes up in the nursery at home.

- PAIGE OLDFIELD

Steph, a midwife, was driving home from the Trafford Centre when her phone started to ring. Recognising the number as the hospital, Steph and her partner pulled over to the side of the road.

That's when they were given the news.

Steph's unborn daughter Bea had been diagnosed with a rare brain condition in the womb. The condition meant she would never be able to speak, walk or eat and her sight would also be affected.

Aside from morning sickness, Steph's pregnancy appeared to be going well until the 23 week mark. Suddenly, she found herself living every parent's worst nightmare.

The 29-year-old, from Oldham, said: "Because my partner was a doctor and I'm a midwife, we both knew it was quite severe. He burst into tears and I had to drive us home. We'd just moved into a new home and were picking out new furniture. We had a nursery all set up.

"But she wouldn't have had a normal life. She would have been a very unwell child with regular seizures and there was a possibility she never would have been able to speak, walk or even eat.

"As two health professionals, we would never wish that for anyone, least of all for our own daughter. It was absolutely horrific, but we wanted to do the best thing by her."