A baby who was left to die alone in the over Christmas last year has been remembered by his mum's best friend who says she'll never get over his death.
Little Harry died of dehydration alone at the home he shared with his mum Natalie after she died on Christmas Day and he was unable to fend for himself.
Speaking of her grief a year on, best friend Stacey Hackett said she will forever live with the guilt of wondering if she could have saved Natalie and one-year-old Harry.
Devastated Stacey added that she finds some comfort in visiting the grave where the loving mum and baby are buried together.
Stacey, 35, says: “Natalie had arranged to spend Christmas Day with me. On Christmas Eve, we had been out shopping and I babysat Harry whilst Natalie got her nails done, ready for Christmas.
“She was a devoted mother, she had really turned her life around since having Harry, and she was so looking forward to her first proper Christmas with him.
“I will never get over losing them both. If any good can come from this, I hope that others will learn how important it is to speak out about mental health and depression.
“It’s so important to check on friends and neighbours, at Christmas and every other day too. I will always wonder if they could have been saved.”
The friends met in 2018 and Natalie was recovering from addiction.
Stacey says: “Natalie and I became really good friends. She was suffering with depression, and she had very little confidence in herself. Her parents had both passed away.
“She’d been a model and she’d travelled the world as a sea cadet. She was an HGV driver in the army for several years and she’d had a promising career, but her health meant she couldn’t carry on.”
Natalie gave birth to Harry in October 2020, and his birth was a turning point.
Stacey says: “Having Harry changed her life. She was a wonderful mum, absolutely devoted to him. She was out every day with him, at the park or down at the beach in nice weather.
“We had so many happy times.”
On Christmas Day, Natalie and Harry failed to show up at Stacey’s home.
Stacey says: “I knew from experience that Natalie sometimes wanted quiet time, just her and Harry. It was part of her depression. I just thought it was best to leave her to do that.
“I didn’t want to call and put pressure on her, to come over for Christmas. I felt sure I’d hear from her in a day or two when she was ready. I kept hers and Harry’s presents waiting for them.”
By December 29, Stacey was starting to worry and made arrangements with another pal to visit Natalie the following day.
But before their visit, the alarm was raised.
A routine welfare check on Natalie found both her and Harry dead in her flat.
Stacey says: “I was heartbroken. The shock will live with me forever. I could never have dreamed that she was dead. I don’t for a moment believe she had overdosed; she was really loving life and she had so much to look forward to. She doted on her little boy.
“The thought of Harry crying in the flat, and nobody coming to him, is so upsetting. It’s a lesson to us all to check on our friends and neighbours over Christmas, and all year round.
“I didn’t know that Natalie was struggling and if I had, I’d have taken her absence over Christmas more seriously. I think she kept it from me because she didn’t want to be judged, as a mother or a friend.
“It’s so sad, because if she’d confided in me, I could have helped and supported her.”
An inquest last week heard that Natalie Kane had only prescribed methadone in her system when it was checked a week before her death.
However, on the evening of Christmas Eve, she seemingly decided to inhale lighter fluid and suffered catastrophic effects.
The inquest heard that Natalie struggled with depression and was receiving support from services including Recovery Steps Cumbria and Women Out West after drug addiction and domestic abuse.
On December 30, concern was raised over the fact Natalie had not picked up a prescription or been in contact with any of the services and the police were contacted.
An officer attended and could get no response at the address. He spoke to neighbours in the surrounding flats who recalled not seeing her for a few days.
The officer discovered Natalie lying in the living room next to unopened Christmas presents.
Harry's body was then found in the bathroom.
Post mortems were carried out and it is believed that Harry may have survived for two to three days after his mum's death before succumbing to the effects of dehydration.
