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• Steve and Denise met while they were both traveling. When their visas expired, smitten Steve moved to Denise’s hometown in Ireland to be with her.
• Following a Christmas Day proposal and wedding in Cuba, the couple started trying for a family. They were delighted when Cameron was born eight years ago, and then came Ethan, six. They hoped their third pregnancy might be a girl – both keen for a daughter to spoil, but they were over the moon when Aaron was born in 2007.
• After turning 39, Denise told Steve she didn’t want any more children after 40 – so they tried one more time for a daughter. When she fell pregnant the best the hospital could give them was a 40% chance it was a girl.
• When their longed-for daughter was born, Steve was there to hold his wife’s hand.
‘I’ve got a headache,’ Denise said as Steve leaned in to kiss her in celebration.
• As the midwife held their 6lbs 1oz baby girl, Denise’s eyes rolled back and she passed out. Steve spent the next 24 hours sharing his time between his new daughter and his wife in intensive care.
• The doctors were unable to save Denise. She’d suffered a massive brain haemhorrage. Distraught Steve had to go home and tell his sons that Mummy wasn’t coming back before returning to hospital to give her a final kiss goodbye.
• Seventeen months on and Steve is still adjusting to life as a single dad.
“The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was tell the boys,” says Steve.
“One minute they were bouncing about asking where their new brother or sister was, the next minute I was sitting them down to say Mummy had fallen ill and gone up to heaven. How do you cope with that?
“It’s been tough but Denise’s family have been brilliant and the boys are always helping me with Leah and talk about Denise all the time, talking about things they’ve done they think she would have found funny. I worried that they might resent their little sister for being born and her birth killing their mum, but they love her more than anything. I’m so proud of that.
“We release balloons for Denise and lanterns on special dates and the boys have memory boxes – I’ll make sure she’s always part of their lives.
“I know I have the strength to carry on when I look at my fantastic children.
“I just hope Denise heard my final words and knew she’d given birth to the daughter she always wanted. I also hope she’s looking down on us and proud of what we’re all doing.”
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