Heartbroken Portsmouth family to hold charity fundraiser in memory of stillborn Arthur

Parents Natalie and Shane Dormer, from Portsea, have arranged a family fun day at the Falcon pub in Waterlooville on March 19, with all proceeds going to Hannah’s Holiday Home – which supports children’s oncology wards.

The day, that will include a bouncy castle, face painting, live music and more, will be held to remember their son Arthur who arrived stillborn at Queen Alexandra Hospital on October 22 last year at 26 weeks old.

Mum Natalie said the news Arthur’s heart had stopped felt like a ‘knife’ to her chest.

The 31-year-old Sainsbury’s worker said: ‘We thought the pregnancy was all absolutely fine. But we went for a 20-week scan and Arthur was showing he was a week behind.

‘We got sent to Southampton for a scan to find out if anything else was wrong. Nothing was wrong until 23 weeks when he was falling behind by two weeks. It was that the placenta wasn’t working properly.’

She was experiencing placenta previa, which occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix.

The couple were told they had the option of having a C-section that day, but Arthur wouldn’t have survived, or to terminate the pregnancy.

‘He still had a heartbeat, I couldn’t do that,’ she said. ‘I thought he was going to defy the odds.

‘Went back to Southampton on October 1 but unfortunately his heartbeat had stopped working.

‘When the nurse said they were really sorry there was no heartbeat it was like a knife had been stuck into my chest. It didn’t feel right. It felt like a dream.’

SEE ALSO: Rowner Junior School children raise almost £1,000 for charity

On October 19 Natalie took a tablet to induce labour.

She said: ‘The labour was long and painful. It started at about 5pm and he was born just after midnight. It’s not a process I’d wish on anyone because you’ve got all this pain and nothing at the end of it.’

The family, including daughter Lily, 11, and son George, nine paid their respects to Arthur at his funeral on November 8 at The Oaks Crematorium in Havant.

Speaking about the fundraising event Natalie added: ‘The charity really struck a chord with us because it’s about helping children and families. Any money we can raise for them will be fantastic.’

The day will also include hot food, games and a raffle and will run from 12pm at the Falcon in Hambledon Road on March 19.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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