13 December 2023 , 20:18
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A grieving family are facing Christmas without their baby son who died suddenly on Boxing Day last year.
Darren Midgley and Cheryl Szulhan's little boy Jack passed away in his sleep aged just 16 months. The family had enjoyed the "best Christmas" but when dad Darren went into the tot's room the following morning he quickly realised he'd gone. He said that day their "world fell apart".
He added: "We felt like we'd been thrown into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in a storm at night with nowhere to go." Jack's body was heartbreakingly kept at a children's hospice in Leeds in festive pyjamas prior to a post mortem. Darren explained: "We woke to discover Jack had died suddenly in his sleep.
Darren with baby Jack (Martin House)"Christmas in our family is never just a day. The boys saw Santa four times. They had the best Christmas and I just cracked his door open and it was perfect silence, so I walked over to his little cot. But, as soon as I put my hand on his back it was cool. What I saw at that point I knew my baby boy had gone."
Darren and Cheryl were then told about Martin House children's hospice in Wetherby, where Jack could be cared for in one of its special cooled bedrooms. Darren described the hospice's services as the "anchor" the family needed, reports YorkshireLive. He added: "The fact that Jack could just stay in a bedroom meant the world. The idea of him being in a cold fridge in the hospital - no baby boy should be there.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Darren found Jack had died in his sleep (Martin House)"It was a huge comfort to us to know Jack was being looked after in a bedroom, in his Christmas pyjamas, and the staff would be there to talk to him and put his night light on." The family spent five days at Martin House until a postmortem could take place. They were also given memory keepsakes using Jack's hand and footprints.
Martin House is a specialist centre for children's palliative care, supporting families across Yorkshire, in addition to providing care to families following the sudden death of a child. It costs around £9million annually to run the hospice, which cares for more than 440 families and a further 160 bereaved families every year.
To donate to the Martin House Christmas appeal, click here.