This is me. Your 4th birthday: Recognition

15.02.24

Happy 4th heavenly birthday to my firstborn Yaeli.

Your due date (the last date that I heard your heart beating) and the date you died - are somehow even more more challenging than your birthday.

There was nothing I could do after that but to birth you and hold you in my arms.

Today I was again, of course so sad. Yet we love to remember you.

It's been 3 years fighting for recognition that you should be here with us. It feels like fate that exactly on your due date this year (12.02.24) we received the letter.

The letter from NHS resolution on behalf of the hospital trust.

They say they accept liability for your death. To say they are sorry.

"It is admitted that, on balance of probabilities, had a scan been undertaken at any time between 36 and 40 weeks, this would have shown a low estimated foetal weight.

Our expert is of the view that a scan at 40 weeks would have shown severe IUGR.

Induction of labour would have been offered at 39 weeks as a result of the earlier scans, or at 40 weeks as a result of the later scan.

The baby would have likely experienced foetal distress in labour, an emergency caesarean section would have been performed and the baby would, on balance, have survived in normal health.

our member accepts liability and is very sorry for the shortcomings in the care provided to Mrs Meyer-Lewis.

A separate apology will be sent by our member (The Hospital Trust)".

Finally. Acknowledgement.

Recognition of you, your life. And the pain that was caused. Then and forever.

A birthday gift.

Mummy feels relief that I am no longer nervous about all the anger I would feel should liability have been denied.

I'm proud of myself for fighting through the pain.

But it doesn't bring you back.

It's a hard read. And every year, and especially on your birthday, daddy and I feel the unfairness of it all.

Mummy will always feel guilt.

I should have known something was wrong.

Guilt that you aren't here, growing up with us, feeling all the love we give. Sad that I'll never see you rip open your Chanukah and Christmas presents the way Liora does.

But Yaeli, we will always remember you, love you and you will forever be a part of our family.

Happy heavenly birthday xxx

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On 30th April 2024 we received the to more personal apology from the group chief executive of the hospital trust.

Which said:

"The trust has carried out investigations through the legal claim that has been brought, and I am very sad to say there were failures and delays in referring you for and performing urgent growth ultrasound scans which led to a failure to detect intra-uterine growth restriction and a delay in delivery of your baby, which led very sadly to stillbirth. Had these failures not occurred, it is likely that your baby would have survived. I am so very sorry".