A brave young mother has told how she suffered ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’ when her newborn baby died in her arms while they were both sleeping together on the sofa.
Chelsea Love still mourns the loss of her ‘too perfect’ tiny eight-day-old son Leo Coles but remains strong for her toddler daughter’s sake and to help other parents going through similar heartache.
Just two days after the inquest into her cherished son’s ‘unexplained’ death on Thursday, bereaved former barmaid Chelsea, 24, today spoke out in tribute to little Leo ‘my shining star who was too beautiful for Earth’ – and to highlight the trauma of coping with sudden infant death.
Devastated Chelsea Love cradled tragic son Leo Coles shortly after he was born. Leo was just eight days old when he died in his mother’s arms
Leo’s father Sam Coles arrived back at the family home in Hull to find his son a ‘funny colour’ and immediately knew something was wrong
At an inquest into Leo’s death earlier this week, a coroner could not say exactly how he died but said the baby’s death was an example of sudden infant death syndrome
Whilst still coming to terms with the agonising loss of her baby, who died in her arms after they both fell asleep on the sofa at home in Hull, East Yorkshire, in October last year, Chelsea has even endured accusatory stares and cruel taunts of ‘That’s her who lost the baby’ from locals. She even had rubbish tipped outside her garden gate.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the tragedy to MailOnline, Chelsea admitted: ‘At first I blamed myself, it was the worse feeling ever, I didn’t eat I didn’t sleep. I was shattered.
‘Apart from my close friends and family everyone looked down on me, gave me mucky looks and blamed me When my baby died the local paper wrongly reported that he had suffered an injury.
‘When he passed away there was not one injury just a tiny bit of blood on his face.’
Chelsea, fighting back tears during her emotional interview, told of her huge relief that a coroner and police had officially cleared her of any blame.
She said: ‘When the inquest was over, as painful as it was I felt like twenty bricks had been lifted from my shoulders. I was totally free of any blame.
‘As a matter of course the coroner had to ask the police officer if there had been any foul play and she said no.’
Chelsea attended the inquest supported by family but chose not to speak. Her witness statement was read out.
The heartbroken parents are still mourning the ‘too perfect’ tiny eight-day-old baby and want to help other parents going through similar heartache
Chelsea woke up on the night of Leo’s death to her partner’s frantic screams. Sam had returned home to find his son a ‘funny colour’
Chelsea revealed that when she first lost her son she blamed herself for his tragic death
She said: ‘The coroner said whilst he couldn’t record exactly how Leo had died it was sudden infant death syndrome and I was entirely blameless and he told me after the hearing he was so sorry for my loss.
‘To carry a baby, give birth, take him home, cuddle him, sleep with him, breastfeed him and adore him then to lose him with my arm wrapped around him while we were both dozing on the sofa is the most horrible thing to happen, a parent’s worst nightmare.
‘It was an unexplained death, like a cot death without the cot, and although I lost him I’m still glad he was with me when he slipped away.’
Ironically on the evening Leo died Chelsea and her partner Sam Coles, 24, had spent a fun day at the seaside as a treat for deciding to make a go of their on-off relationship.
She, out of work factory hand and odd jobber Sam and their newborn son went to Hornsea while her mother looked after their daughter Scarlett Coles, now aged two.
Chelsea explained: ‘We had split up but were getting back together. When we got home we bathed Leo in his little plastic bath on the floor, he loved it and was gurgling away.’
Later Sam went to their pal’s home to pick up a specially made blanket for little Leo – named after both his parents’ joint star sign and a fifth generation family member on his mother’s side.
Leo was born a healthy 6lb 1oz one week prematurely by Caesarian Section at Hull’s Women & Children’s Hospital
Tragically the baby blue gifted blanket with embroidered silky letters spelling Leo was only ever used to ‘wrap him up in for his final sleep’ as he was laid to rest, his tearful mother recalled.
On that fateful night October 25, 2016, just a week after a healthy 6lb 1oz Leo was born one week prematurely by Caesarian Section at Hull’s Women & Children’s Hospital, while Sam was out the exhausted new mother picked up her precious son from his Moses basket on the lounge floor and dropped off to sleep on the sofa in front of the TV with him.
She said: ‘It was about 10.30pm and I was propped up on the sofa next to my baby. He was lying on a pillow and I had an arm wrapped around him and must have dozed off for an hour.’
Chelsea, reliving her nightmare, recalled the moment she was woken up by a frantic Sam as he returned home.
She said: ‘Sam was shouting “He’s not breathing!” I was waking up, thought he was joking and was in complete shock, a daze. I remember Sam being on the phone to the ambulance.’
Sam, taking up the heartbreaking story, continued: ‘I’d come back all excited with Leo’s new blanket and they were both asleep on the sofa. I hung my coat up and then came to look at my beautiful little son.
‘He looked a funny colour and I though “Wooah! something’s wrong”. Leo wasn’t breathing and I woke up Chelsea and called ambulance. It was one of those drastic life changing moments that you never forget and scars you forever.
‘He was dead but he still looked beautiful.’
As Leo was rushed to the hospital he had been born at medics managed to bring him round.
When Leo’s distraught parents realised he would not make it, they brought him back to Hull because ‘we wanted him to die in the city where he had been born’
Leo was cremated during a service on November 10 last year ‘fit for a little prince ‘ at a nearby church, his mother said
Chelsea, pictured here with her mother Claire Litherland, has had to endure cruel taunts since the death of her son
Chelsea said: ‘My tiny little fighter, he still had a little heartbeat.’
But any glimmer of hope was quickly diminished over the hours. Leo was moved at 5am the following morning October 26 to specialist care at Leeds Infirmary where he remained in a life support machine.
Chelsea continued: ‘A CT scan showed signs of severe brain damage but there was a chance he could make it but would be disabled.
‘We were warned that if his liver or kidneys failed he would be in a lot of pain. We told doctors we would be happy to look after him with a disability but when his kidneys did fail we knew it was time to switch off his life support. It was devastating.
‘We took Leo back to Hull because we wanted him to die in the city where he had been born, locally and close to his family.
‘He passed away at 5.55pm. Me and Sam’s auntie went to see him in the chapel if rest. He looked like he was just sleeping.’
Leo was cremated during a service on November 10 last year ‘fit for a little prince ‘ at a nearby church, his mother recalled.
A carriage drawn by two black horses carried his teeny body. Chelsea said: ‘One of the horses freaked out jumping all over the road and his little coffin was bouncing around, so we took him out wrapped in his special blanket and Sam kept him in his knee.
Chelsea has a tattoo bearing her son’s name
‘We later released five white doves and balloons in memory of Leo. It was a sad but lovely service.’
Today Leo’s ashes are kept on the mantle piece of the couple’s cosy rented council home in a sparking musical silver box which plays ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ when the lid opens.
Chelsea and Sam’s lounge is adorned photos on the wall of baby Leo and his sister, who is too young too understand the family’s loss and pain.
Chelsea said: ‘After his death we wanted to move house but reconsidered. After all it was still Leo’s home for a very short time and we couldn’t leave. But we got rid off the sofa and completely redecorated.’
The young parents are coping ‘because life has to go on and we still have Scarlett to care for. She’s am amazingly little girl, full of energy, and having her helps us get through those bad days.
‘We’re looking forward to Christmas, something we never had with Leo.’
Chelsea added: ‘Leo was such a good baby, too perfect! We will never forget him.’
Chelsea and Sam, who both sport tattoos bearing their son’s names – Chelsea’s on her right shoulder and Sam’s on his left knee – now want to help raise awareness of sudden infant death.
Chelsea explained. ‘It can happen to any baby at any time although it is quite rare. You don’t think it’s going to happen to you and parents should be made more aware by classes and midwives.
‘Also there needs to be more support and help with the grieving process.’
To mark the first anniversary of Leo’s death last month his great grandmother, ‘Nana’ Phyllis McDonald, 64, bought and named a star in his memory so his parents can trace it and gaze up to the night skies to look for him and remember him.
Ms McDondald, from Hull, whose mother Dorothy Aldred, 88, is Leo’s great great grandmother, said: ‘Leo is the most tragic loss to us all. We are a very close family.
Her daughter, Chelsea’s mother Claire Litherland, 42, told MailOnline: ‘It has been so hard watching what my daughter and Sam have been through. But they’ve coped admirably. They are both extremely good, caring and parents.’
For now Chelsea, Sam and Scarlett take comfort looking up to the heavens to see a twinkling star. Courageous Chelsea smiled: ‘The star of Leo, just above our house and the brightest star of them all!’