Our Story

My name is Jade, Mitchell's Mammy and founder of The Mitchell Foundation. This is mine and my family’s story.......

 

On the 2nd April 2023 I woke to the realization I was 10 days late, after tracking my cycle and trying for a baby for two years I had lost all hope. I knew I had a test in the cupboard so thought I better test, when the two lines appeared the feeling of complete overjoyed, love and happiness!

Still to this day, that was the happiest day of my life!

After trying for so long, I thought 'this can't be true' so rushed to my local supermarket and brought five more tests, all five came back positive!

My now husband Michael was in work but knew this is something I needed to tell him face to face so I waited until he was home to gift him a box with a rabbit comforter and six positive tests, his reaction like mine 'really' he said, this is what we had waited so long for.

We was now counting down to our wedding day which was booked for the 29th May 2023, with my dressing fitting booked on my birthday I couldn't think of a better day to tell my Mum and Sister.

At the end of April I was at work and didn't feel right, I realised I had a small loss of blood and my heart shattered 'I can't lose this baby'. Driving straight to A&E to find out our baby was fine with a strong heartbeat! The following day we had an emergency scan to find out I was 8 weeks, and everything looked perfect!

We realised I would be 12 weeks pregnant on our wedding day, so with all our closes friends and family around us Michael announced in his speech we would be expecting a baby in December 2023. I kept thinking how I could get so lucky!

At 17 weeks we booked a private scan to find out the sex of our baby, our first son Jayden REALLY wanted a brother, but we were almost certain we were having a girl. Our gender scan was over, me and Michael drove to a small pub and opened the envelope together..............ITS A BOY!

Our family was complete!

We attended my 20-week scan on the 24th of July, baby boy was absolutely fine BUT my cervix wasn't as tight as it should be, and fluid was seen in my cervix.

I instantly felt something was wrong, everything was too good to be true.

I was admitted to hospital the following day 25th July, after examination I was 3cm dilated. I thought medical science is incredible they'll be able to save my baby. They advised I could have surgery to close my cervix, but this may not work now that my cervix is already 3cm dilated, I said 'what will happen to my baby?' they didn’t have to say anything, I could see the look on their faces.

I met with a Gynaecology consultant who advised for me to remain in bed for two days, head down, feet up in the hope of relieving the pressure off my cervix to be able to perform the surgery to close my cervix.

 

Two days passed, with the most incredible family, friends, consultants and midwives around me I remained positive but strengthened myself for the worst possible outcome that I would lose my baby boy.

On the 27th July I was examined, it was my worst nightmare. My cervix was now 6cm dilated.

My baby boy couldn't be saved, my world had shattered!

We were put into the Primrose Room at Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil. Beautifully decorated, peaceful and quiet where I could deliver Mitchell with my husband Michael and my Mum Wendy by my side.

Mitchell Michael Harries was born at 1:08am on the 28th of July 2023 and gained his wings three hours later.

 

 

Before my labour was induced, I asked the midwife if she had any shampoo and conditioner, I had been bed bound for 2 days and wanted to wash my hair after I delivered Mitchell. She went away and came back and said, ‘I could only find conditioner, we looked in the box but seems like people only leave behind conditioner’.

My husband Michael had no choice but to leave me, after being told Mitchell wouldn’t survive after birth to drive to the local supermarket to get hygiene essentials for the both of us.

 

When we came home and unpacked our bags, putting away the toiletries Michael said, ‘I didn’t want to leave you to get toiletries, I couldn’t remember the drive’.

My heart broke for him, he was also going to lose his son and shouldn’t have had to drive in that frame of mind to get us essentials. It was hard for us to be apart and dangerous for him to drive.

He said, ‘you should put together toiletry bags for other families, your good at putting things together’.

Two weeks after losing Mitchell we sold his clothes which made the first 20 toiletry bags for other bereaved families.

It quickly dawned on us that when I had small blood loss at 8 weeks gestation, I was also left without hygiene essentials in A&E, so we decided to create the small emergency hygiene packs so we can accommodate families during baby loss at any gestation.