Warning: Distressing content
There is nothing more heartbreaking than discovering your unborn baby will not live. For Loran Denison, this was her reality as she learned that her fourth child, a little boy, had Edwards’ Syndrome.
Edwards’ Syndrome is a rare condition and most babies with it don’t live to full-term or die a couple of hours after birth. Only 13 in 100 babies with Edwards’ Syndrome who are born alive see their first birthday.
They told me he had typical Edwards’ Syndrome so he would pass away before or just after birth,” Loran told The Sun.
As Loran came to terms with this sad reality, she and her partner, Scott Watson, made the heartbreaking decision to terminate the pregnancy through a medical abortion.
Loren took the tablet which is meant to terminate the pregnancy on 6 April. Two days later, she returned to the Women and Newborn Unit at Burnley General Hospital to induce the birth.
When I took the first tablet on the sixth they said it would stop the pregnancy, heartbeat and everything. We had already said our goodbyes when we went in.”
Baby born alive after abortion
Loran was induced at 18 weeks and four day and expected to deliver her son stillborn. As it turns out, he was actually born alive, even after the medical abortion pill she took as prescribed.
They didn’t check for a heartbeat before inducing labour, and I wish they had.”
When her partner picked him up after he was born he said, ‘His heart is beating.” The doctors couldn’t believe it.
Loran and Scott’s son, Kiyo Bleu Watson was born alive on April 9 at 3.50pm, weighing 150g. They had him blessed and christened in hospital while he was alive.
‘I don’t have words for how awful it was’
Loran and Scott had already said their goodbyes and were prepared to deliver their baby still. They were not prepared to have to watch him die after birth. It took 10 agonising hours for Kiyo to fade away while his mum and dad remained by his side.
Loren said she had to watch his heartbeat getting slower and “watch his life draining out of him”.
You just want to keep your children alive. It was like torture.
I thought I had done the hard bit when I made the difficult decision to have an abortion. But now it feels 10 times worse.”
Kiyo died on April 10 at 2.30am. Loran was grateful for the extra time she had with Kiyo but admits it was incredibly distressing.
I don’t have words for how awful it was. I just want other mums to know in case this happens to them.”
Time at home
Loran and Scott then took their baby home to spend some time with his siblings, Rocco, 6, Bunni Rose, 3 and Romee Beau, 2 thanks to a special cot with a cold mattress. The family said their final goodbyes to Kiyo before his funeral.
I can’t get my head around how he survived. I don’t even have a word for how horrible it feels. There is a person I’ve read about who has survived with Edwards’ Syndrome to 40.
Kiyo Bleu was so strong now I wonder if he would have survived. His heartbeat was so strong you could feel it.
If I had known he would be born alive I probably would have made a different decision. He just looked so normal.”
Our heart breaks for Loran and Scott and the entire Watson family. Rest in peace little Kiyo and stay strong, brave Mumma.
If you need support after miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death, contact SANDS for 24 hour phone support: 1300 308 307
