Kym Marsh has penned a tribute to her late son Archie to mark his 13th birthday.
Kym went through the devastating loss of her baby boy Archie, with her ex husband Jamie Lomas, in 2009 at 21 weeks of pregnancy.
The former Coronation Street star has opened up to her followers on Instagram about her devastating loss while paying tribute to Archie and her family who have been her 'rock.'
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In a moving moving message to Archie she typed: "Thirteen years. Thirteen years since I lost a piece of my heart that I will never get back.
"It still hurts so much, like it was yesterday.
"People say time is a healer, to a degree they are right, because in time you learn to move forward, you learn to accept what has happened, that life doesn’t stand still no matter how much you want it to.
"However, that pain never goes away. It’s always there.
"We wonder what kind of little boy you would have been, what games you would have liked to play, what made you laugh, what football team you would have supported (Man U obvs!).
"I wish we’d had the privilege to hear your voice, your laugh, your cry, you shouting at your sister because she was playing with your stuff and embarrassing you in front of your mates!
"I wish we were celebrating with you today, a teenager!!! Although I’m sure by now I would be a very uncool mum, and would be annoying and embarrassing you by kissing you on your birthday!"
A year after Archie died Kym tried for another baby and was placed under the care of St Mary’s, Manchester’s specialist centre for obstetrics and neonatal care when she became pregnant with daughter Polly.
She was terrified to discover she had a condition that meant there was a strong possibility that she could go into premature labour again.
Specialists at St Mary’s performed a procedure to stop her going into early labour and she was put on immediate bed rest.
Kym went on to give birth to her “little fighter and miracle” Polly in March 2011 following 33 weeks of pregnancy, weighing 4lbs 1oz.
Kym wrote: "I wish so many things, but wishes are for fairytales, and life is not a fairytale.
"That said, we have so much to be thankful for. Archie, you have a beautiful, amazing family, who have been my rock throughout everything.
"They gave me hope in times when I wanted to give up, they gave me strength when I was at my weakest and they gave me love when I needed it most.
"They pulled me through the darkest moments…and then along came Polly!!! I truly believe that you gave her to us!
"She was the light in that darkness, she still is! She is the brightest, funniest, most beautiful ball of energy I have ever known.
"She truly lit up our lives, I am forever grateful for her, and I know you are in her smile."
And she added: "There are so many, too many things to say, but I can’t say them all, I would be here forever typing!
"So all that is left to say is Happy birthday to the brightest star in our sky!
"We love you beyond words, we miss you every day and you are forever in our hearts. Keep flying high little man!"
Kym, 45, who played Michelle Connor in Corrie from 2006 until 2019, also shared the emotional moment she released a balloon in memory of Archie joined by her husband Scott Ratcliff and friends and castmates on the touring stage production of Fatal Attraction.
In 2017 the Wigan actress, who is joining the cast of the rebooted BBC school drama Waterloo Road as canteen worker Nicky Walters, fought back tears as she won the Best Dramatic Performance gong at the British Soap Awards and dedicated the award to Archie.
She won huge praise for the harrowing Corrie storyline which saw her character go through the devastating loss of her baby Ruairi at 23 weeks after suffering similar heartbreak in real life.
