Me and my partner Faith have been on a journey we never expected. Towards the end of 2024, we discovered we were pregnant and couldn't have been more excited. At 15 weeks, we went for an early gender scan, and while we were thrilled to hear we were expecting a boy, the news soon took a heartbreaking turn.

The sonographer informed us that our son had lost his left hand, and we rushed to Darlington Hospital for another scan which confirmed the news, we were then rerffered to the RVI for more scans and tests. After a consultation at RVI, we learned that our son was affected by Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS)—a rare condition where fibrous bands in the amniotic sac can wrap around body parts and cause deformities. Unfortunately, the band had severed his left hand from the mid-forearm. The good news is that at this stage, he would not have felt any pain, as his pain receptors weren’t developed yet.

As you can imagine, the emotional toll on Faith and me has been overwhelming. The constant worry of “Is he safe?” and “What else might the band affect?” has been ever-present. Now, at 31 weeks, unfortunately the band remains and more have formed but our little warrior is growing healthy. However, we continue to attend weekly scans, and the doctors have informed us that due to this an early delivery is expected.

Until this happened to us, we had never even heard of Amniotic Band Syndrome. It’s such a rare condition, and the lack of information has made this journey even more challenging. That’s why I’m committed to raising awareness and funds for research, so that families going through this don’t have to face the unknown alone.

We are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received from the amazing doctors and nurses throughout this process at James cook, RVI and Darlington. By contributing to this cause, you’ll help support vital research and improve the care that other families receive.

The charity I’m raising money for is Tommy’s, the UK’s largest charity focused on researching the causes and prevention of pregnancy complications, miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth. Please consider donating to help us and other families who are navigating similar challenges.

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Tom & Faith xxx