Lisa Gallacher Tribute

When we found out I was expecting again we were over the moon. The baby was due in January 1994 about the same time as our sons 2nd birthday. We were excited about our new addition to the family. Neither Michael (my husband) or I cared if it was a boy or a girl as long as everything went well and our baby was healthy.

At the start I suffered from evening sickness but that didn't last long. I had a good pregnancy no problems. All my check ups went well.

Christmas came we all enjoyed it then New Year. Everything was still fine.

2nd January was our sons birthday. We had a small party at my parents house. Afterwards we all went home, The next thing we had to look forward to was our baby arriving. We were all so happy. My son was so excited about the baby and couldn't wait for it to be born.

3rd January started the same as any other day. Getting back to normal after the holidays. About 3 o'clock I started to get what I thought was labour pains. Michael played with our son while I paced the floor it wasn't time to go to hospital. Then, I didn't know it at the time I felt the baby move for the last time. Just before 7 that night Michael went and brought his sister to look after our son it was time to go. As we were getting ready I thought my waters had broke so went to check. There was blood everywhere I was in a panic. I called the hospital they told us to come in right away.

When we arrived there was a doctor and nurse waiting for us. We were taken into an examination room where they tried to find the baby's heartbeat. Nothing. A scanner was brought. The doctor turned the screen away so I couldn't see it but I wasn't looking at it I was watching the doctor's and nurses faces. The look that passed between them told me everything my baby was gone. The doctor asked Michael to come over he didn't have a clue what they were going to say. At 7.45  the doctor said "I'm sorry but your baby has died." it was like being hit with a sledgehammer. I thought Michael was going to pass out. I had had an abruption which means the placenta had came away from the womb and our baby had starved of oxygen and I had internal bleeding. I was earily calm Michael was so quiet I think he was in shock. Our baby had died now the fight was on to save me. They kept taking blood to check my blood count in all I ended up getting 11 units of blood and 5 units of clotting agents. My father-in-law and my brother-in-law arrived at the hospital. I knew if anything happened to me they were there for Michael . I was given an epidural for the pain I couldn't be given a C section because of the blood loss. I still felt numb.inside like I was having a bad dream. This couldn't be happening to us everything had been fine up until a few hours ago. 

4th January I was told it was time to deliver thats when I started to cry. Our baby was going to leave us. While it was inside me it was still part of us. At 3.26 Lisa our daughter was born. I still held on to the hope that they were wrong and she would cry or move anything to prove them wrong but nothing. Thats when my heart truly broke we had no baby to take home. They took her away, washed and dressed her then brought her to us. Michael couldn't bring himself to hold her. I took her she was so beauitful. Michael and I looked at each other it was a look of great pride and so much sorrow our beautiful daughter was gone. Lisa looked so like her brother. I couldn't hold her for to long or I wouldn't have wanted to give her back. We kissed her and gave her to the nurse.

8th January I had just got out of the hospital the day before and we were going to bury our sweet baby today. The funeral was a blur all I could see was the tiny white coffin holding my daughter when she should have been in my arms. Lisa's Daddy. Grandpa, Grandad and Uncle laid her to rest. Thats when Michael brokedown I couldn't cry I think if I had I wouldn't have stopped.

The hardest and saddest part of the whole situation was Lisa was healthy and perfect in everyway if the placenta had not came away our little girl would have been ok and here with us. 

We never got to see Lisa smile or hear her cry but the love we felt for her was huge.We wonder about the young woman she would have become and the fact is Lisa is missed everyday. Remembering brings so much pain and tremendous pride in our beautiful little girl. Love you sweetheart xxxx 

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A Child who loses their parents is an orphan,
A Man who loses his wife is a widower,
A Woman who loses her husband is a widow,
However, there is no name for parents who lose a child,
For there is no word to describe such pain.

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