On 18th May 2018 our lives changed forever when our daughter was born sleeping at just under 16 weeks pregnant.

At our 12 week scan, an abnormality with our baby was discovered, which after lots of expensive private testing (so as not to risk the pregnancy in any way with an ammnio) we discovered our daughter had Turner’s Syndrome. An extremely rare, and often lethal condition.

It is caused by the baby developing with only one sex chromosome. It is completely random, and unfortunately only 1-3% of babies diagnosed with this condition will be born alive- sadly, our daughter Hope, last her fight to be one of those babies at just under 16 weeks gestation, due to heart failure after an already long battle.

15% of all pregnancies that end in miscarriage are babies that would have had Turner Syndrome.

Hope was called Hope, from the moment we found out about her condition, because, despite being told termination of the pregnancy was recommended, we decided that as long as she was fighting- so were we.

“We hoped for you, harder than anyone had ever hoped before” is what I wrote in the memory book on the day of her funeral.

On the day we found out Hope had passed, I screamed.

I then had to take a tablet to end my pregnancy hormones which I almost choked on- my motherly instinct was fighting my brain. It was quiete literally the hardest pill I will ever have to swallow.

Two days later; Hope was born at the Spring Suite at Poole Maternity Hospital. She was treated like the little miracle she was, and thanks to the staff, and midwife Jo who delivered her, we spent the entire weekend with her.

Just ‘being’. Being her mum, being her dad, being together. The 40 or so hours we spent with Hope will have to last us a lifetime.

A Cuddle cot is essential for allowing bereft families to spend time with their babies.

In the simplest terms, it keeps baby at a temperature which will delay ‘changes’. It allows them to spend time with their babies until they’re ready to take the longest journey they’ll ever take- the journey home from the hospital without their baby.

My wonderful husband to be and I are desperate to raise the £1500 which will allow us to purchase a cuddle cot for the Spring Suite, where Hope was born, in her memory.

We will be climbing Mount Snowdon in 2020 to make this happen. We aren’t fit, and I’m terrified of heights- but the only thing that scares me more is Hope’s memory fading, which I will not let happen.

Hope, my daughter, my love, my missing piece.

I promise for as long as I have breath in my body, your memory will not die.

All our love always, mummy and daddy.