Mother to give back to charity which helped her through ‘nightmare’ time of losing baby boy after 55 minutes

Jessica Webster and her partner Toby tragically lost their son Marley in October, during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

The couple would now like to help others going through this traumatic time by giving back to Sands – a charity which supports babies’ lives and all members of bereaved families.

It was Sands which helped them navigate the most difficult period in their lives, and Jessica is taking on a 10 kilometre ‘starlight walk’ for them. The key message is that families affected by baby loss can find light in the darkness.

Jessica said: “Nothing can prepare you for the heartache you face when you lose your baby, but if we can help anyone get through these times a little easier, we will do anything we can.

“Although nothing will ever take away the pain me and Toby feel, doing things like this keeps us busy. If it means helping others with the same heartache we feel, I’d do it every day if I could.”

Jessica explained that she feels fortunate she never had to utilise a charity until now and even though she had not heard of Sands before going into hospital in October, they were on hand straight away to support.

“Marley was poorly and would have been born with no quality of life if the pregnancy was to go ahead,” Jessica told the Chronicle & Echo.

“It was very visible how poorly he was when my labour was induced and he was born. It was the worst decision I’ve ever had to make, but it would have been cruel to continue.”

Jessica and Toby spent the 55 precious minutes of Marley’s life with him, as well as the night of his passing while they were all in the Snowdrop Suite at Northampton General Hospital.

The hospital was kind enough to provide them with an SD card and encourage parents to make memories with their angel babies while they can.

“It was a calming experience and I’m really glad we were encouraged to spend time with him,” said Jessica. “I could look at him and feel him.”

Jessica was asked why it is so important to her to help others going through a similar experience to her family.

“People say you are safe to tell people you are pregnant past the 12-week mark,” she said. “At our 20-week scan, we received the worst news possible and it was like a nightmare I couldn’t get out of.

“If I can make someone’s experience that little bit easier, it would mean so much to me. I find comfort in that, as well as doing it all in my son Marley’s memory.”

Jessica is almost halfway to her £2,000 fundraising target and she wants to emphasise that the more money is raised, the more families can benefit from the vital work of Sands – like she and Toby will continue to.

For more information and to make a contribution to Jessica’s fundraiser in memory of Marley, visit the fundraising page here.