A mother-of-three from Bethnal Green, London, has described being left 'traumatised' after she claims the NHS advised her to keep her miscarried baby's remains in a fridge for nine days because the hospital was full.
The Devastating Miscarriage
Sheree Chanelle Wakeford-Knight, 30, a shop worker, and her partner Hassan Niyazi, 38, a painter and decorator, were expecting their first child together in February 2026. In early April, Sheree began experiencing bleeding. Despite being seen by a nurse at Royal London Hospital, who said after a scan that the baby appeared healthy, the bleeding worsened. On April 13, at 3:30am, Sheree miscarried at home.
The couple had called an ambulance three times and 111 multiple times, but claim they were told paramedics were too busy and to walk to the hospital, even though Sheree could barely move due to severe bleeding and pain.
The Fridge Ordeal
After the miscarriage, Sheree says she was told by the hospital that there was no place to store the foetus until April 22. She claims they were instructed to place the remains in a fridge at home. The foetus stayed in their fridge for nine days and began to rot.
Sheree said: 'When we went to take my baby to the hospital, I opened the fridge and I could smell a rotting smell. Since then, I have smelt that smell every time I open the fridge. No matter how hard I have scrubbed, every time I open I smell my decomposed baby. I've not been the same since that day, I am traumatised.'
On April 22, the couple brought the baby, placed in a box, to Royal London Hospital. A scan and pregnancy test confirmed the miscarriage.
Emotional Aftermath
Sheree said: 'I was in floods of tears when I handed the box over to the nurse. How many mums and dads have had to go through the same thing? I don't want another parent to smell the smell I have. You could see our baby's little arms and legs. Regardless of how old the pregnancy is, I should not have had to go through that.'
Hassan added: 'I have never experienced anything like this in my life. Seeing our baby's heartbeat for the final time really traumatised me. We called the hospital so many times, we called the ambulance, but nobody was willing to help. We're traumatised, the NHS didn't bother to help us when we needed them.'
NHS Response
A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust said: 'We are deeply sorry for Ms Wakeford-Knight's loss and are committed to ensuring that she receives the care that she needs with empathy, compassion and dignity. We encourage patients who are concerned or unhappy with their care to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or they can raise a formal complaint to be investigated.'
