A heartbroken Scots family have told of their devastation after their tiny baby girl died in her mum’s arms.
Little Madison Travers came into the world at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Monday, September 1, but was born with complex heart and brain issues.
Despite battling for life for five days, the brave tot peacefully passed away
Jamie says he and Kimberly got to hold Madison until “her wee heart just stopped beating”
At 24 weeks, another devastating blow came when scans showed Madison’s brain wasn’t developing properly.
The couple agreed to turn off all Madison’s life support and their tiny baby girl died in her mother’s arms
Despite battling for life for five days, the brave tot peacefully passed away on Saturday, September 6.
Her devastated mum Kimberly, 31, cradled her baby girl as she slipped away, with distraught dad Jamie, 33, at her side.
The couple, from Moodiesburn in Glasgow, had their world shattered when, at 18 weeks pregnant they excitedly went for a gender scan – only to be told their baby had heart problems.
However they were offered a glimmer of hope when specialists said that a pacemaker could help once baby Madison was born.
But at 24 weeks, another devastating blow came when scans showed Madison’s brain wasn’t developing properly.
Jamie said: “At that point they asked if we wanted to continue with the pregnancy but we knew we needed to give her the best chance.
“We needed to know who she is, what she looks like and we loved her regardless.
“They mentioned there could be learning difficulties or disabilities but we just didn’t care.
“That was our little girl and we wanted her here.”
When Kimberly was 37 weeks medics performed a C-section and baby Madison was born.
Jamie said: “We were told because she was underdeveloped she would be taken away straight away and put on a ventilator but we managed to get a wee hold of her and a wee kiss and cuddle before that happened, which was good.”
Madison was whisked into the Queen Elizabeth’s Neonatal unit and over the following days the devoted couple – who are also parents to four-year-old Carter – never left her bedside.
“We were told to play it by ear, take it day by day,” sayd Jamie “But by the Friday, four days after she was born they were telling us she wasn’t controlling her breathing on her own anymore.
“By the Saturday they told us they were at max oxygen and it wasn’t fair on Madison to continue.
“We agreed. We didn’t want her in any pain or trying to force something that is going to have the same outcome in the end. We just decided enough was enough.”
The couple agreed to turn off all Madison’s life support and their tiny baby girl died in her mother’s arms.
“We took her out and just held her until eventually her wee heartbeat just stopped,” said Jamie.
As they struggle to come to terms with their shattering loss, the couple’s friends and family have rallied to support them, starting with a sponsored walk to raise money for Sands, the baby loss charity and also to help the couple with funeral expenses.
Friends of the couple will be walking from Kirkintilloch to the Kelpies in memory of Madison – and Jamie says he Kimberly and Carter will be there to meet them at the end.
As the family prepare to lay little Madison to rest on Wednesday, Jamie hopes that by speaking out about their loss it might help other people who are going through the same thing.
He added: “Hopefully this can raise awareness. I know we’re not the only ones going through it. If it helps other people open up and talk then something good has come of this.”
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