Mother’s pain after baby dies when she fell asleep on sofa

A heartbroken mother has spoken of her anguish after her newborn baby died when they fell asleep together on their sofa.

Chelsea Love, 24, had taken eight-day-old son Leo out of his bouncy chair at their home in Hull after she noticed he was falling asleep.

She put him on her chest for a cuddle and intended to return him to his cot. 

But, exhausted, she then fell asleep and was woken by the sound of Leo’s father, Sam Coles, screaming.

Chelsea Love told of her pain after her baby son Leo died when they both fell asleep on the sofa

Leo had changed colour and was rushed to hospital. But despite doctors’ desperate attempts to save him, he tragically died.

Describing the terrible events, Miss Love told an inquest: ‘Leo was falling asleep in his bouncy chair so I decided to get him out for a cuddle.

‘He was laid on his back, I had part of the duvet over my lower body and Leo’s feet were covered. I was really tired but I didn’t think I would fall asleep.

‘I woke up to Sam screaming, I could not work out what was going on.’

The couple dialled 999 and Leo was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where doctors managed to restart his heart.

He was then transferred to Leeds hospital for specialist treatment, however a CT scan revealed he suffered extensive brain damage from a lack of oxygen and would never recover.

His parents then made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support machine and he passed away surrounded by his family.

Miss Love says she has felt ‘broken’ since Leo’s death, but her daughter Scarlett, two, is helping her through her pain.

The youngster was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary but later died in hospital in Leeds

The youngster was rushed to Hull Royal Infirmary but later died in hospital in Leeds

‘If I didn’t have my little girl I don’t know what I would have done, she has helped us all through it,’ she said.

‘Although she is only two, she knows all about Leo and can say his name. We always look up at the stars before she goes to bed every night and say night night to him.’

An inquest held into Leo’s death on Thursday could not determine how the newborn baby died.

Paying tribute to her son, Miss Love said: ‘He was just perfect, he was glowing and was a little star.

‘As soon as we found out we were having a boy we were just so excited as we already had Scarlett and he just completed our family.

‘My pregnancy and birth was fine and I was so excited when we got to take Leo home, we were a proper little family.

‘The day before he died I actually said it felt like Leo had been with us forever.’

Miss Love had a healthy pregnancy and Leo was born by cesarean section at Hull Women and Children’s Hospital on October 18 last year, weighing 6lbs 1oz.

She now wants to help others who have gone through similar tragedies after she received vile abuse over what happened. 

 

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