From Ettie With Love

Hi, many of you know our story but those of you that don’t, please feel free to read and support our goal of helping other bereaved families on the start of their life changing journey.

Im Demi, Partner Josh, parents to our three beautiful Daughters - Arabella (5), Avie (3) and our Angel Ettie. In January of this year, 2025 I went into spontaneous labour at 38 weeks. We were excited, we were ready to compete our family. Ettie was healthy and very much alive, kicking and letting her Mummy know she was ready to enter the world. It was a snow day, so I had my Daughters at home, they were just as excited as us saying ‘Mummy is the baby coming!’. At around 12:30pm, 5 hours since my first contraction, we would face our worse fear. I suffered a complete placental abruption, scared with my girls by my side, I knew we would lose our baby. Screaming for help I rang 999, and within 5 minutes we were blue lighted through to Rotherham Hospital where after three attempts to find a fatal heartbeat, they confirmed Etties heart has stopped beating meaning we were now faced with delivery, knowing our Daughter would be still born. The silence was defending. We had to announce the gender of our Daughter whilst ringing our family to tell them she had passed away.

On the 6th of January 7:10pm, Ettie-Bloom Lewis was peacefully brought into the world, sleeping. Unfortunately our nightmare wasn’t yet over, seconds after Etties delivery I was ran into ICU and was now receiving life saving treatment. Hours passed and I was slipping away. My mum waiting at the end of the corridor with her Granddaughter preparing to hold her Daughters hand as I also slipped away. By some miracle, when I was about to go in for surgery to receive a full hysterectomy to save my life, I pulled through. The world stood still. Although still very poorly, my heart was beating. I was alive. I kept my voice, which means I now need to fight for my Daughter.

Now this is where the Fund Raising comes into play. I knew I wanted to do something From Ettie, to make and impact and to help other women, other fathers, other families facing baby loss. After months of thinking, we have decided we want to raise as much as possible from now (July) until December and on Etties first birthday we will be donating all funds back into the Bereavement Suites across Yorkshire - Starting at Rotherham and Barnsley. But what will we be donating? This may be simple appliances, to make the suite feel a little more like home. As for most families, this is the only room they’ll hold their baby and be together as a family. In the unimaginable pain we want families to feel as comfortable as possible and not have to leave their baby for a second, as they’ll have everything they need. Things may include coffee machines, a TV, somewhere comfortable to read to your baby. Children’s books to read to your baby, calming night lights. Journals and memory making kits for the families. The list is endless and we will work with the hospital to compose a list of their essentials too.

So with all that being said, please, if you could support us by donating, or simply sharing our story, your kindness will not go unnoticed. Let’s change the world of baby loss and help those families at the start of their journey. Together we can make a difference, but we need your help.

The first fundraiser will be up as soon as possible and all will be updated on this and via social media when tickets are available to purchase!

Thank you so much for reading,

Demi, Josh and family