FOR BABY Loss Awareness Week (October 9-15), a brave Llangollen mother has shared her story to raise vital awareness for others.

Katie and Richard Davies were overjoyed to discover they were to expect twins during their 12-week-scan in 2020 and immediately began preparing for their new life as a family.

However, their joy began to unravel when a further scan identified a problem. After being transferred to Liverpool Women's Hospital, it was confirmed that the identical twins were suffering from Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), meaning one was receiving too much blood while the other was not getting enough.

"The odds were against us", explains Katie, "with a less than 5% chance to save both babies."

Aoife DaviesAoife Davies (Image: Katie Davies)

"We will never forget what the team at Kings College did for us, their care and empathy got us through that day. It was them who gave us the news that the babies were girls – my husband and I named them that day, we called them Aoife and Erin."

A matter of weeks later, following an initially successful surgery, Erin's heart stopped beating. 

With the risk to Aoife still present, both Katie and Richard lived with fear everyday that something could happen. And because they were identical, Katie continued to carry them both.

"Every flutter of movement was a reminder of Erin's absence", Erin said.

The remembrance tree for Baby Loss Awareness Week is now placed at the back of St. Collen’s Church in Llangollen and will be there until Tuesday 15thThe remembrance tree for Baby Loss Awareness Week is now placed at the back of St. Collen’s Church in Llangollen and will be there until Tuesday 15th (Image: Katie Davies)

"When the day came to deliver the girls, in Wrexham, the team of doctors and midwives surrounded us with compassion. Their care was more than just clinical, it was deeply human.

"They spoke Erin’s name, they acknowledged her. Aoife was born healthy and strong. A day that should have been filled solely with happiness was filled with waves of mixed emotions of love and grief.

"We want to express our forever gratitude to Wrexham Maelor staff, in particular Mr Fernando and Midwife Bethan Roberts, Dr Andy Sharp and his team at Liverpool Women’s, and Professor Kypros Nicolaides and his team in Kings College, London."

In the year's to follow, Aoife has thrived, but each milestone is a reminder of Erin's absence. 

Katie is now determined to raise as much awareness for baby loss as she possible can, despite her own pain and heartbreak.

She said: "We talk about Erin often, and that is why we and others are big campaigners for baby loss awareness week, it’s an opportunity to listen to individual experience and stories, to reflect on personal experience, and a reminder that if you have experienced such a loss, you are not alone - whether the loss was recent or 40 years ago.

"I share my story because I want to highlight that baby and pregnancy loss is a real issue – if it’s not happened directly to you, then it may have happened to your friend, mother, sibling, neighbour or colleague.

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"Unfortunately, it happens to far too many families, including our close friends Alex and Sian who sadly lost their first daughter, Rose Davies.

"Please don’t face away just because it’s not happened to you – this week is to raise awareness and help improve research - celebrating this week helps foster a community of understanding, remembrance, and hope, making an often-unspoken grief more visible and supported."

There will be national wave of light on Tuesday, October 15 at 7pm to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Katie and her family invite you to light a candle to remember the babies who are sadly not with us.

The Llangollen Town Hall and Centenary Square will be lit up in Pink and Blue at 7pm – all are welcome to join.

If you are struggling with pregnancy and baby loss, visit https://babyloss-awareness.org/support/ to see the support available.