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Here we are, parents to our beautiful little girl Amélie , just not in the way that we expected. A life, no matter how short, is still a life. We are trying to raise money for SANDs, a charity that is helping us survive this most difficult time. Families need SANDs support, especially through COVID times.

To honour our daughter, we are going to be completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge next April with Amélie’s family and friends. Please help us help charities like SANDs who support bereaved parents.

Our story

On the 12^th of August 2020, we became parents to the most precious little girl, Amélie . She has changed our lives forever.

February 2020, we found out that we were having a baby and it was the most exciting time. We were going to be parents, we couldn’t believe it. Due to COVID, we were unable to see family and friends for weeks. The next time they saw me, I had a baby bump developing! We had lots of time to prepare for baby Da Costa and everything was ready for her. Papa worked hard on the nursery, which is now the most beautiful memory room for Amélie. Our lovely family and friends had bought beautiful things for her and I had even knitted a blanket!

On Tuesday the 11^th August, I was in Birmingham visiting my family as it was the summer holidays and the COVID restrictions had changed so I could stay over night. That night, I had a partial placental abruption so was rushed to hospital. After not finding the baby’s heart beat with a doppler, which felt like the longest few minutes of my life, they found it with an ultrasound scanner and found out that our baby was healthy and her heart was beating away strongly. The biggest relief I have ever felt. I stayed in hospital over night to be monitored but was told that our baby was fine and I just needed to stay in for 24 hours as a precaution. Me and Joel were happy because we thought everything would be ok as it always has been in our lives.

The next morning, I had a further and more severe placental abruption and our poor little baby was in distress. Amélie was born that morning at 9:47am. When Papa got to the hospital, he found out that we were parents to a beautiful baby girl. When he told me it was a girl, it was a surprise as everyone was convinced it was a boy (except grandad Steve!). We were so elated and happy, little baby Amélie. We were told that she was stable but not out of the woods yet. We thought she would be fine; she was in good hands. My mom and dad were at the hospital and I remember seeing their excited faces. We were all so happy and spent the next hour in excitement together talking about our daughter and their granddaughter and the exciting times ahead.

Sadly, a consultant soon came to see us to tell us something that no parent should ever have to hear. Amélie’s heart had stopped when she was born. She was resuscitated and had a blood transfusion. We were told that she wouldn’t be able to survive very long. This day and the next day were filled with love, cuddles and lots of kisses. Holding our Amélie created an indescribable feeling that we had never felt before: feeling her warmth against our chests, holding her chubby hands and looking at her curly hair. Amélie was her papa’s twin, she looked just like him.

Amélie peacefully fell asleep in our arms on the evening of the 13^th August and will forever leave a missing piece in our hearts. Amélie, you will be missed by all of your family in the UK and France. 

SANDs have been there from the start of this sad journey and I know will continue to help us. Please help by donating, no matter how little, to SANDs so that other bereaved parents get the support they need.

Amélie, we will look for you in the stars, we will think of you in the darkness, we will love you to the Moon and back, and beyond.

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