Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My children,Lana, Alyssa, Shannon and Freya are going to be taking part inThe Angels Walk in memory of Leo Catton. This is a charity that is close to our hearts and I hope you will take the time to read below so you can understand why.

Leo was born asleep 03/09/2009 at 39 weeks and 2 days.

My daughter Lana had no problems during her pregnancy until the morning of Wednesday 2nd september when she was being violently sick and had abdominal pains. The doctor was called but before she arrived her condition worsened and and ambulance was called instead. When the ambulance arrived they checked lana over and at that time there was a fetal heartbeat and assuming she was in labour they brought her to hospital. Lana was living in Outwell at the time and the ambulance arrived in Lynn about an hour later. 

When Lana was admitted to the ward, a doppler was used but no heatbeat could be found so a scan was ordered. The scan confirmed the doppler and we were told the baby had died in utero. The tears and the guilt started.

Lana was put in a room and an iv drip was started with antibiotics, as a urine sample showed she had an infection, and she was given time to decide how she wanted to proceed. She could return home and come back in a couple of days to be induced or they could induce her that day. It was the hardest descision she would ever have to make and she couldnt get her head around it. Fortunately things we taken out of her hands as her waters broke spontanously.

The hours ticked passed and Lana cried throughout her labour, when the time came to push and finally deliver her baby boy she gave up and refused to push knowing that once he was born it would become a reality and she wanted to hold onto him for longer. At 00:47 Thursday morning she finally delivered her beautiful baby boy. He was perfect in every way and looked like he was asleep.

The midwives did everything they could after he was born and she cradled him in her arms and didnt want to let him go. A post mortem was carried out and it was discovered that he had contracted a strep B virus which occurs in pregnant women from 37 weeks and is normally harmless but for some unknown reason it had been fatal.

Lana retreated into herself after her loss and blamed herself for his death, if only became common place in her life and she spent weeks trying to work out where she had gone wrong and thinking she was the only one that was going through this. 

Sands were there for her when she needed help and made her realise that there were other people out there to support her and finally after months she started to believe that it wasnt her fault and she wasnt alone. 

Any money that can be raised for Sands will be used to help mothers, fathers and their families from feeling alone and help support them through one of the most difficult times a parent can go through.

My children are taking part in the Angels Walk on Sunday 4th August and are hoping to raise money for this worthwhile charity so please use this page to sponsor them.

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So please dig deep and donate now.