A mother has described the heartache of preparing to say goodbye to her baby daughter before she was even born. Heather Furlong and her partner David Hill were expecting twins, but a 20-week scan revealed that one of their unborn daughters had developed only half a heart. Despite warnings that she might not survive the birth, the couple held onto hope.
Heather said: "If Sophia was fighting, we would fight."
Sophia's birth and early days
Tiny Sophia and her sister Isabella were delivered by Caesarean section at 36 weeks. Weighing just four pounds and four ounces, Sophia survived the birth. Heather remembers her as "a little fighter."
In the weeks that followed, Sophia remained in neonatal intensive care. Heather described her fears: "I thought if I pick her up, am I going to pull the tubes out? That was my worst fear, and I regret not asking to pick her up more because I didn't want to break her. She was a teeny, teeny tiny thing."
A heartbreaking turn
At six weeks old, Sophia's condition worsened. The medication sustaining her heart was harming her other organs, and the family faced the prospect of saying goodbye. Heather found some comfort in knowing that Acorns Children's Hospice would support them regardless of the outcome. "It helped me get through a little bit knowing they'd be there both ways, good or bad," she said.
Sophia died in her father's arms in hospital at seven weeks old. Half an hour later, the family was taken to Acorns' hospice, where they spent six further days with her in a private temperature-controlled bedroom.
Making memories at Acorns
At Acorns, Heather was finally able to bathe her daughter for the first time, surround her with family photos, play music, and take her into the garden. "I got to make more memories. She was seven weeks old and had never had a bath," she said.
Heather, who also has a son Kyle, added: "Without Acorns, I would have been lost. Those extra six days were amazing. The memories we made – I can't thank them enough. That's when she was my little girl with just nothing extra, no tubes."
Acorns also helped arrange Sophia's funeral, including the horse and carriage Heather had wanted, and created keepsakes of her tiny hands and feet. "We can never repay what they've done. She'll never be forgotten," Heather said.
Supporting families through the Autumn Appeal
Heather and David are now sharing Sophia's story to highlight the support Acorns offers to families affected by a diagnosis during pregnancy, as part of the charity's Autumn Appeal. Acorns Children's Hospice supports more than 1,100 families a year from its three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester, as well as in family homes and communities.
The charity needs approximately £40,000 a day to deliver its care, with over 75% of that coming from donations, fundraising and charity shop revenue. Contributions to the Autumn Appeal can be made at acorns.org.uk/Sophia.
