Kelly and Lee's Story

Kelly and Lee have become advocates of Stillbirth research and have supported other couples in their grief journey. This is their story.

Lee and Kelly met later and got married and were keen to start their family straight away. It was only a few months after getting married that Kelly became pregnant. She had a textbook pregnancy. She was fit and healthy and all test results were normal all the way through. Kelly was 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant when her obstetrician suggested that she be induced as a precaution.

They arrived at the hospital at 6 pm for their scheduled induction after naturally going into labour hours before. This is where Lee and Kelly's nightmare began. Several midwives attempted to find their baby's heartbeat and they were unable to do so. An ultrasound was performed, and they were told that their much wanted baby had died. 

After a fairly lengthy induced labour, on Friday 2 November 2012 at 2:19 pm Riley arrived into the world, 'asleep' or stillborn.

From this moment on Lee and Kelly have had a very different parenting journey. They have learnt how to connect and parent Riley when he is not physically with them. Lee and Kelly have had three children after Riley. Finn, Harper and Jackson. Unfortunately, Jackson too was stillborn at 20 weeks in July 2018 due to a chromosomal abnormality. Lee and Kelly have raised and continue to raise awareness and funds around unexplained stillbirth and parenting through grief. They have created a Remembering Riley Facebook page and website www.rememberingriley.net highlighting their story and fundraising events.

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