Hi my name is Tom and on the 9th of February 2017 at 11:45pm our son Harlow was born. I remember my wife screaming, that’s what woke me up. At the time we both didn’t realize she was in labor. After calling emergency 000 and the ordeal that unfolded, I delivered our son on the bathroom floor at 11:45pm.
As I continued CPR, only realizing it had been 30 minutes when the Ambulance officers arrived. I managed to get my son Harlow to take a couple of breaths. In those moments I thought, this is it, he’s about to cry. Breathe!
Heartbreakingly Harlow, our son didn’t make it.
After the ordeal and complete haze at hospital, heartbreakingly we had to leave our son there. Not something taken lightly, all pregnancy plans on bringing your newborn home.
We left Harlow with the nurses to organize his funeral arrangements, which admittedly took some time to build up the courage to do. I took my wife home the next day. Lost and alone we had no idea what was next.
How do you pick yourself up from this?
It’s been 2 years and I still find it hard to express my emotions, mainly because I am a man and I was always brought up to be strong and focused and reliable. My wife has really struggled more than me over the past years due to, anxiety, depression, grief and our loss. This is hard to watch.
Adding to the heartache 3 of her sisters had babies that same year. Harlow would have been the older cousin. That’s hard, every time we see them it’s a bittersweet memory of what could have been and what has been lost.
When my wife was pregnant life was good, exciting. Expecting and planning you are thinking of the future. It makes you wonder about all the positive possibilities and the then worst thing happens.
Tom and his wife created Keepsake Comfort Bunny Urn to help gift the memory of their precious son Harlow. If you want to check out their website click here: http://www.holdmeclose.com.au/
