£10,000 fundraising target reached in just 30 hours in memory of baby born sleeping in Northampton
A £10,000 fundraising target was reached in just 30 hours in memory of a baby born sleeping in Northampton.
Donnie John Charles was tragically born sleeping on September 20 at 40+3 weeks, and a light memorial was held at Delapre Abbey when 130 balloons were let into the sky on the eve of his funeral.
His parents Sadie and Krissi Charles are now raising awareness and funds for the bereavement midwives at Northampton General Hospital towards their Daisy Suite Appeal.
They also want to raise awareness of the importance of donating blood, as Sadie lost five litres and needed a 21 unit blood transfusion.
This was due to suffering from Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), a serious medical condition where abnormal blood clotting occurs throughout the body's blood vessels with a 98 percent fatality rate.
The final thing that Sadie and Krissi want to raise awareness of is concealed placental abruptions, which affect 0.6 percent of pregnancies. This causes internal bleeding which is less visible and therefore not treated as quickly.
The parents are trying to turn their nightmare into something positive and they raised an impressive £10,000 in just 30 hours, with the online fundraising page now sitting at around £12,700.
“In comparison to my first pregnancy, this pregnancy was a total dream,” said Sadie. “Positive the whole way through with no bad symptoms, it was the best pregnancy any woman could ever wish for until it came to a sudden end, without warning.”
On the evening of September 19 when Sadie was 40+3 weeks pregnant, she had a routine scan that showed everything was perfect. Four hours later, she suffered a concealed placental abruption – which affects less than one percent of pregnancies and is hard to detect.
Sadie said: “This is what instantly took the life of our precious baby boy, but this was unbeknown to us. We thought I was in labour, so I sat on my birthing ball breathing through the most intense contractions, with no idea that I was actually suffering from internal bleeding.”
Due to the level of pain Sadie was in, the family were greeted by midwives with towels when they arrived in hospital and Sadie believed she was about to give birth.
After a short period of time, a heartbeat was not detected and Sadie said: “It’s a moment no parent should ever go through, and one that we will think about every morning we open our eyes and every night before we go to sleep.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing our baby kicking around during our scan that day and feeling movement all evening. How was this happening to us? But from that moment on, everything just spiraled out of control.”
Sadie all of a sudden started to become very unwell so a decision was made by a consultant, who Sadie says she owes her life to, that an emergency C section was needed under general anesthetic.
Donnie was born at 1.42am on September 20 but in recovery, Sadie started to hemorrhage and suffered from DIC. Her bleeding did not stop for six hours, with a team desperately trying to save her life.
“During this time, my family were sat waiting for updates not knowing if I was going to survive,” said Sadie. “I lost just under five litres of blood, nearly my full blood volume. It was an unimaginable amount to lose with a fatality rate of 98 percent, giving me a two percent chance of survival.”
Sadie underwent a major blood transfusion for 12 units in surgery, and was then placed in a coma and given a further nine units of blood in intensive care.
Baby Donnie was handed to Krissi straight after delivery and Sadie said: “He was told the words he always wanted to hear, it’s a boy. 8lb 8 of pure perfection, he looked just like his big sister.
“Curly brown hair, chunky legs and the cutest button nose. I didn’t know the gender of Donnie until I came off life support, but deep down I always knew I was carrying a baby boy.”
After being in intensive care for several days, Sadie spent two weeks recovering in the Snowdrop room at Northampton General Hospital. This is part of the maternity bereavement suite, supported by bereavement midwives.
“This space was such a blessing, as it meant I didn’t need to be on the labour ward surrounded by newborn babies,” said Sadie.
“It was a place for me to escape and recover, spending all my time with Donnie. It was a precious time as Donnie was in a cold cuddle cot, so we were able to cuddle, kiss and love him – something we’ll be eternally grateful for.
“Leaving my hospital bubble was tough as it was the first time in 2025 I was walking but not carrying my baby. Instead, I was carrying a memory box full of prints, photos and molds all made by the bereavement midwives.
“They said what happened to me was rare, unfortunate and unavoidable and if I had my planned natural birth, I would have also lost my life – meaning Donnie passing away saved me, our little guardian angel.
“Through waves of grief, sadness and dark times, our three-year-old little girl Chessie is our distraction and now her little brother is our shining star.”
The family hope to use Donnie’s name and their experience to help others who have been impacted by similar situations and raise vital funds to make a difference.
“We are so grateful to all the medical staff at NGH who played a role in saving my life and my recovery,” said Sadie. “Donnie John – you are forever our newborn and always our angel. We love and miss you very much.”