A COUPLE whose baby girl died after just an hour and a half after being born at 22 weeks have found a way to help give 'Hope' to others.
Charlotte and Gary Higgins from Grange Park were thrilled to learn that they were expecting a baby girl.
Everything seemed to be going well, until at 22 weeks and five days pregnant, Charlotte, a teacher at St Ann's Primary School, got pains in her back.
Gary, Charlotte and Hope
Charlotte, 28, said: "It was in April last year at the start of the pandemic but Whiston hospital said I would be better going to see them to be safe and after looking me over they said everything seemed fine and gave me some antibiotics.
"But as we were leaving I started bleeding and that was when they realised I was going into labour, despite it being too early.
"The hospital did all they could but our little girl was born too young to survive and lived for just one hour and 40 minutes."
The hospital staff did everything they could for Charlotte and Gary, 31, even arranging for prints to be made of their daughter's hands and feet as a keepsake.
Charlotte said: "We didn't have anything ready, we didn't even have a name picked out yet but when we were holding her for that hour and a half it was Gary that came up with the name of Hope, and I thought it was perfect.
The contents of the bags of Hope
"We didn't have any clothes for her, but people had donated tiny knitted clothes for babies born early and we used them and even though we were in the start of the pandemic, the hospital gave us a cold cot so we could take Hope home to meet our family once she passed away.
"They did everything they could for us, and we wanted to give something back.
"We came up with the idea of bags of Hope, after Hope but also giving hope to others.
"I had nothing with me that day, not even a toothbrush, and the hospital say they have around 240 women going into labour unexpectedly like me who have nothing on them.
"So we put together these 249 bags for those women with some essentials they need to help them at a difficult time.
"We got the bags made by a brand called Positive Media as well who did a fantastic job for us, and we handed them over to the hospital yesterday.
"It's just a way of helping others."
The Bags of Hope include items such as a toothbrush for each parent, toothpaste, deodorant, sanitary towels, mints, candle, peppermint tea, shower gel, shampoo, body lotion and more.
As well as this Charlotte and Gary, who works in a chemical plant, also donated 20 books for parents to read to their children who are either unwell and have to stay in hospital or who have limited time, like Hope, so they can create special and long lasting memories as a family.
The money to make up the bags was raised via a raffle last August held on the day Hope was due to be born.
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