A Scots mum whose daughter was tragically stillborn is desperate to save the charity who helped her through the darkest time of her life.
Charlie Gallagher, from Castlemilk, went into labour at 33-weeks and found out her daughter did not have a heartbeat when she was rushed to hospital.
The 34-year-old was admitted to an ICU maternity room as her condition rapidly deteriorated and she turned seriously unwell. Sadly, on October 15, 2018, doctors told Charlie that her daughter Jessica was stillborn and she was lucky to have survived.
After the heartbreaking loss of her daughter, Charlie and her partner received crucial support from Dalkeith based charity SiMBA. She is now desperate to save the organisation from closure due to spiralling costs and a significant shortfall in fundraising, Glasgow Live reports.
She said: "I went through the labour process in an ICU maternity room because I was seriously ill. Once I had Jessica, I was sat down by one of the midwives and they explained what had happened.
"They explained how lucky I was to survive and how brave I was. She told me about this charity called SIMBA that provided memory boxes for people.
"This was a shock to me because when I suffered a silent miscarriage in 2015 it was a totally different tone. Once the procedure they just let you go and there was no information about charities."
SiMBA supports bereaved parents who have lost a baby at any stage of their pregnancy or around the time of birth. The organisation provides family rooms within maternity units to offer parents the time to say goodbye to their babies and they also create memory boxes.
But the vital charity is now facing closure within three months due to low fundraising and rising costs.
Charlie said: "When I first heard the news they might be shutting it really broke my heart. I remember when I went to my first meeting, I spoke to one of the facilitators and he said there was only one cuddle cot in the hospital when he lost his baby so they only got to spend one day with their child.
"That made me realise how lucky I was to spend three days with my child. It makes me sad to think that there are people out there who don't get to spend as much time with their baby as they would like.
"Spending that time with your child is such an important moment."
Charlie was also given a memory box full of keepsakes and personal items after Jessica was stillborn and now, almost five years on, it still provides her with a link to her daughter.
The grieving mum is trying to raise vital funds for the charity so other families can receive the same vital support.
She continued: "One of the promises I made to my daughter is that I would speak out about baby loss to educate others.
"Sharing my story keeps Jessica's name alive. I'm at a good place with my loss. Everything I do is in memory of Jessica. She wouldn't want me to sit back and watch SiMBA close it's doors."
At the beginning of 2022, Charlie was informed it would be unsafe to get pregnant and she now hopes by sharing her story she will be able to break the taboo of discussing baby loss
She believes she was put on this path to help others and now lives her life to make memories for Jessica as it is something she never had the chance to do.
She explained: "It's hard, it's upsetting, there will be moments you don't want to live, but you need to make memories for your child.
"Every time I do something whether it's a gig, theatre, go out for dinner I always say this is for Jessica because she won't have the chance to do this.
"Last year I went to college and now I'm hoping to go to university. I said to myself 'Jessica won't get the opportunity to go to college' so I did it and completed it last year.
"The prospect of applying for Glasgow Uni is scary but my daughter won't get to go so I'll do it for her. This year Jessica would've turned five so she should have started primary school in August.
"I see people sending their children to school and I'll never get that opportunity. But I was sent on this path for a reason, to help others."
To donate to SiMBA's appeal and help the charity continue their important work, click here.
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