In memory of our beautiful girl Evelyn

After falling pregnant in October and feeling completely over joyed , it is safe to say we were very excited for 2024. Having had a healthy ‘text book’ low risk pregnancy, everything was going so well, we were utterly shocked with what was to come.

On the 21st feb I went to work as normal on a 12 hour shift, shortly into my shift I was experiencing some lower discomfort around my abdominal area and some mild period like cramps. Never thought too much into it, as I did start to find the shifts very tiring and put it down to usual pregnancy aches. During that afternoon it appeared I was leaking water and I had no control over it. After contacting the maternity assessment unit I was advised to go straight in to be looked over. On examination It appeared I was 4cm dilated and informed that I was in early labour. We were told that I would not be leaving the hospital until my baby girl had been delivered. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing, “how can I deliver my baby girl I’m only 24 weeks? This isn’t right ; it can’t be”.

After several blood tests , a consultant came to speak to us about statistics of our baby girl being delivered this early and risks etc. I just remember starring into space not taking anything in. We were so overwhelmed with the information and could not quite process what was going on. I was told that I had Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) due to an infection in my uterus which is what had caused my waters to break early. I just kept thinking , this sort of thing doesn’t happen to me, it can’t be true everything has been perfect until this point.

2 days after being admitted, at just 24+4 days, I delivered our baby girl Evelyn who weighed just 1lb 13oz. We couldn’t believe we got to meet her this early, we felt a mixture of emotions and felt filled with anxiety and worry. Evelyn was cared for by the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) unit at Royal stoke hospital. Sadly she did not make it , after two days of fighting, she passed away.

We can’t even put into words the care and compassion that the staff showed to not only our daughter but to us as parents. We can’t thank them enough for what they did. We got to make special memories with our daughter at the end , which is something we will cherish forever.

Myself and some work colleagues& friends will be climbing Mount Snowdon in wales on Sunday 16th June, in the hope we can raise money for this unit which they can use towards supplies for the unit such as baby clothes , equipment and heart warming things for bereaved parents. No amount of cakes chocolates will thank them for what they did for me and Sam. I would love nothing more than to give something back to them, and to do it for our beautiful girl Evelyn.

Evelyn Jean Cadman

24/02/24 - 26/02/24