Kelsey Parker appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain with her newborn daughter River, speaking about her pregnancy journey a year after the tragic loss of her baby son. The 35-year-old shared the news of River's birth on social media on September 20.
A difficult journey to motherhood
Speaking to Ed Balls and Susanna Reid on the September 28 episode, Kelsey discussed her experience of being pregnant and giving birth after the heartbreaking loss of her son Phoenix. She also reflected on the death of her husband Tom Parker, who died from an inoperable brain tumour in 2022.
As Susanna commented that Kelsey has 'been through the mill', she replied: "Yeah, it's been a real tough four, five years now for us. It's been horrific, losing Phoenix last year and everything we went through, to now have River, who is our little hope. I think she's given so many people out there hope."
Dealing with PTSD
When asked how the traumatic birth of her son impacted her during the build-up to River's birth, Kelsey said: "It's so tough. From that experience, I have really bad PTSD. But, I knew that everything was going to be ok and that we couldn't possibly go through that again. It was really, really tough."
She added: "Obviously, the whole pregnancy with River was really tough. But everyone who follows me has shared so much love that I think they've got me through."
Police apology after stillbirth
Kelsey told Susanna how her two other children are 'over the moon' with their new baby sister, whose father is her partner Will Lindsay. She said: "They've gone through so much as children. They lost their dad, they've lost their brother, even going in and out of the NHS and getting checked with River, they were on panic stations all the time like, 'Mum, are you going to come back with the baby?' So, she really has been the hope."
During the discussion, Susanna commented on how the police dealt with her stillbirth at the time, as Kelsey has previously said she was made to feel like a criminal. As a midwife didn't arrive in time for her birth, when the paramedics did arrive, they called the police. Kelsey shared that she was only able to hold her baby for nine minutes before he was taken away, as her house was declared a crime scene.
Kelsey told Susanna and Ed the authorities have since apologised to her, adding: "They have apologised, but for me, that's never going to take back that time."
A mission to change the NHS
Admitting she's 'not giving up', the 35-year-old is on a mission to change the NHS and how people speak about grief and loss. She added: "No one on that night put their arm around Will and me, it's not going to be ok, but just an arm to say, 'We're here for you', I didn't get any of that."
"I think with River, I had to go back through that, and then you realise how bad I was treated on that night because it didn't go how everyone wanted it to be, and I don't think they knew what to do." Good Morning Britain is available to watch weekdays on ITV from 6am.
