Clitheroe families unite after two babies born with birth defects and two with cancer treated at same hospital
Rebecca Jane Sutton, a best-selling author and litigation executive, made the connection between the families after meeting a mum whose child was undergoing cancer treatment at the hospital, and is now hoping to reach out to any other families from Clitheroe that may be going through the same experience.
The family of a baby girl, born with the congenital birth defect of gastroschisis, a condition that means bowels form outside of the body, were stunned to discover two other families from their hometown of Citheroe in the same hospital.
Tiny Arabella, was born at 37 weeks on September 24 at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester weighing just 5lbs 4 oz. At just a few hours old Arabella underwent her first surgery to correct the condition and put her bowels back inside her body, alongside her stomach, which was new information the family learnt upon her birth.
It was a heart stopping moment for her mum Paris Sutton and her partner Alfie, who are currently living at the hospital. But Arabella is a little fighter despite doctors previously warning the family that she may not survive. Today Arabella is making great progress and hopes are high she may be allowed home soon.
It was Paris’ mum Rebecca Jane Sutton, who has been making daily visits to the hospital, who discovered the connection to the other families. She said: “I was leaving the hospital one evening, at almost midnight, and randomly stood outside the entrance taking a photo of the moon when someone called my name.”
The person who recognised Rebecca, a best selling author and litigation executive whose office is based in Burnley, was the mum of a four year old child undergoing cancer treatment at the hospital.
Rebecca said: “We got chatting and the lady informed me there was another family at the hospital who also had a poorly child with cancer.”
Rebecca then remembered another young mum, also from Clitheroe, who they bumped into just a few weeks previously. She had lost her baby, who was born at seven months, in St Mary's. She added: “The mum was told her baby had birth defects and she was warned it may not live, but she continued with the pregnancy .
‘Sadly the little one died two days after the birth.
‘I must admit I was quite shocked and saddened by the realisation there were two families that had children with cancer in the hospital, and two babies born with severe birth defects, one of which did not survive. It made me worry how many people we do not know about, and what they are facing’.
Rebecca is now hoping to reach out to any other families from Clitheroe that may be going through the same experience.
She added: “We felt it would be good to offer some support to each other, especially the people that are unknown to us today, because we all know exactly what we are going through.”
Anyone who would like to get in touch with Rebecca is asked to contact her at [email protected]