Shared experiences

Very many thanks to all the parents, siblings, families and friends, who have allowed us to share their experiences on this site.

To Jack

 We were waiting for so long, for a miracle to come..

Everyone told us to be strong

Be strong and don't shed a tear.

The world thought we had everything

We were waiting for you.

Where the re was strength, the re's weakness

Where the re was light, the re's darkness

Where the re was joy, the re's now pain.
 

Hush now, we see you lying in the sky,

It's almost blinding us, We can't believe

We've been touched by an angel with love…
 

Let the rain come down and wash away our tears

Let it fill our soul and drown our fears,

Let it shatter the walls for a new sun.
 

You'll be in our hearts forever,

Love you,

Mummy & Daddy

( Inspired by a Celine Dion song )

Our story: Jack Richard Forrest:

Our world came crashing down on the cold night of 13 th December 2004. My husband and I, relatives and friends were awaiting the birth of our baby who was due on 5 th February 2005. I'd had a trouble free pregnancy since the beginning. In the early hours of that fatal day, I felt unwell and was in so much pain. We went to hospital immediately and as we walked through the doors, I started bleeding. I was rushed in to be seen by a consultant with my husband by my side and were eventually told the news that our baby had died, as I had suffered a placental abruption.

At the beginning I was in complete denial. I thought the consultant's eyes weren't as trained as a sonographer! My husband reacted to the news immediately and was devastated that we had lost our baby and the fact that I was suffering complications which could have been fatal.

Then came another bombshell. I had to give birth to my baby naturally as it was too dangerous for the consultant to perform a caeserean. I kept asking him to do another scan to check my baby's heartbeat. It was only on the third and final attempt that I knew our baby was no longer with us. I was devastated, in agony and, felt like I was drifting away. The whole day was a blur, my inlaws and my sister and her husband came immediately to see us at the hospital..

I remembered the worst part of the day, was when we had to think about the funeral arrangements and when the priest asked if we had decided on a name. Earlier in the pregnancy, we decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise until birth..we did not even have a name ready and decided to name our baby after my dad, Jacques, on finding out he was a boy.

Our darling son was so beautiful. He looked so peaceful and almost as if he was going to wake up at any minute. My husband and I instantly fell in love with Jack. He was perfect. When looking at my husband, Richard, I can see our baby Jack's eyebrows, lips and dimple! Looking back now, I realised the excitement of holding him and wondering what he would look like later on, the n it dawned on me that I wouldn't know as he has been robbed from us and it is sheer torture.

We held a private service and burial for Jack two weeks later. The staff at Watford General Hospital have been so compassionate and caring. We have normal days and bad days, but it gets a little bit better with each day. Not a minute goes by, without Jack on our mind.

Now it feels like we are at a stand-still and the re's a huge gap in our lives.

We have decided to share our story with other bereaved parents in the hope that they will find some comfort just like we have drawn comfort from o the r stories and poems written by o the r parents and published on the SANDS Website, knowing that we are not alone and that o the rs have shared the same painful experience.

Written by Jack's parents, Annie & Richard