Brooke Violet Fairbairn

Danielle & Sean's Fundraising Page
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Due on Wednesday 5th November 2008.
Our first born, a beautiful baby girl, Brooke Violet Fairbairn was born asleep at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (Newcastle Upon Tyne) on Thursday 16th October 2008 at 2:39am.
She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces, looking just like her mummy. Brooke was perfect inside and out.
She is a loving daughter to my self and Sean. Grandaughter to Ann, Gary, Barbara & Graham, Great grandaughter, Neice, Great neice & Great Cousin.
Brooke's funeral service was held at whitley bay crematorium on Friday 24th October 2008 and her ashes were buried at St. Bartholomews cemetry benton one week later on Friday 31st October 2008.
As of January 2009 Brooke's headstone is now standing, she has her own little garden, with windmills, flowers and little figures.


We found out that I was pregnant with Brooke on Tuesday 26th February 2008. We were so happy and decided to tell family straight away. Everyone was thrilled, and began making plans for the future.
We began shopping for everything we needed for our new baby. In the June we found out we were expecting a little girl. We were thrilled, and went straight out to town and bought a load of girly stuff. Brooke's nursery was decorated and full of everything we needed to start our lives with our baby. We left our pram with family members, due to superstition. We didn't want anything to go wrong, and didn't believe anything ever would! Everything was going great, and Brooke was a right little mover, we could sit and watch and feel her kick for hours it was great.

We both attended ante natal appointments together, We enjoyed these. We got to see our daughter growing, and were able to listen to her heart beat each time. It was amazing!
On Tuesday 7th October, we attended our last midwife appointment. Little did we know this would be the last time we heard our daughters heartbeat.




Our lives changed forever on Sunday 12th October 2008. I had became worried, Brooke was a very active baby and I had not felt her move in over a day. We tried to contact midwives, but there phones were switched off. Sean decided it was time to contact the hospital, and we were told to go in straight away.
We drove to the hospital in silence, and there we were seen to right away.

I was checked over by a midwife and appeared to be fine in my self. A nurse began to try and listen for Brooke's heartbeat, but she was unable to find it. We were told not to worry as it wasn't uncommon. She left the room to get another member of staff. Myself and Sean then decided to panick. When the nurse re-entered she gave me an ultrasound and then a doctor entered and scanned me again.

Then the worst was confirmed. Our daughter had grew her angel wings, and her heart was no longer beating. We were devastated. We cried and cried, the hospital staff left us alone for a while. It was like being in a bad dream and waiting to wake up.

When they re-entered they were trying to explain what would happen next. They advised that I would have to take a pill to help start my labour. I was in that much shock and pain I walked away without taking the pill. We decided to return home so we could think.
We had to break the news to our family. Who were devestated also.

At home we decided it was best for me to take the pill, so after a night without sleep we returned to the hospital to take the pill, and to make arrangements. We returned home not long afterwards and tried to arrange and pack hospital bags for myself. All we could do was cry, we were still in shock.
The hospital booked me in for my delivery 2 days later on the 15th october (which weirdly is pregnancy and infant loss awareness day)

We went to the hospital on 15th October, and were booked into a special private room. The room was made for people who had been through the same or similar circumstances as ourselves. We met our midwives Nikki, Morag & Alison and they settled us in, and looked after us.

Overall the labour lasted around 12 hours, and our beautiful daughter was born sleeping at 2:39am on 16th October 2008.

All family came to the hospital to see our beautiful daughter, to have pictures taken with her and to hold her before they had to say goodbye.
Myself and Sean decided to stay in hospital another night before leaving. We wanted to spend as much time around our daughter as possible. The hardest part was having to leave our daughter in the hospital and come home with empty arms. We left on the friday morning, we had a lot to start preparing.

The whole week after Brooke's birth was hectic. We had to go and register the birth and death at the same time. Arrange the funeral, flowers, pick her plot etc... our heads were all over the place. I felt like we hadn't enough time to mourn.

Brooke's funeral was a week later on friday 24th October. W.S harrison and Son helped us arrange everything. The funeral was one of the hardest days of our lives but eventually we felt like we could mourn.
A lot of family, friends and co workers came to the funeral to pay there respects. We were told that the service was beautiful. The service was conducted by humanist Moira, As neither of us are religous. The word's written by Moira for the service were perfect & we were later given them on paper to keep with the rest of Brooke's Nik Nak's in her memorie's box.

Entering the cremetorium we played 'AeroSmith - I don't want to miss a thing' chosen by myself. During the service we played 'David Gray - This Year's Love' (Can be heard currently in the background)'. Then leaving the cremetorium 'Mariah Carey - Without You' was played, and this was chosen by Brooke's Daddy 'Sean'.
A family friend Lisa read poem's written by herself and Brooke's Nana Ann, and Moira also read a poem written by Brooke's Grandad Graham. We said our goodbye's and the curtain's closed.

On leaving the cremetorium myself and Brooke's daddy Sean stood at the doorway and thanked each of our guests for attending and paying there respects. We also had a donation box provided by W.S Harrison & Son (Funeral directors). Donation's were to be made to 'Sands' The stillbirth charity. £300 was raised by guest's alone.

We then left the cremetorium and went to stand outside to look at the flowers that family had chosen. All were Beautiful and Unique. And were later taken to Brooke's Grave at St. Bart's.

A few day's later we decided to take a trip to Strettle in Shiremoor. Which is a memorials shop. There we chose a white marble headstone for Brooke. With the word's written in Violet as this is her middle name.
The words read
'Brooke Violet Fairbairn, Born Asleep 16th October 2008 Loved Forever, Forgotten Never' Photo's can be viewed in Brooke's album.

We burried Brooke's ashes a week later on friday 31st of October at St Barts church, benton. She has her own plot, with flowers and windmills and a headstone where people can go and pay respects.

After Brooke's delivery we had to wait a further 7 weeks for the post mortem results. We wanted to know why this had happened, Because looking at our baby, She was perfect.
We met with a doctor at the RVI hospital on 2nd December to find out our results. We were very nervous and didn't know what to expect.
Our results showed that there was a burst blood vessel on the placenta. And that Brooke had then developed anemia and lost a lot of blood into myself. She had shortly after grew her angel wings.

We were told it had happened in seconds & that our daughter would not have suffered and would not have been aware. Having heard our results the doctor told us that they see one case of this a year if that. So it would not be likely to happen again in further pregnancies, and that this was just a freak accident.


On the 1st December 2008 We attended a memorial service for all the lost babies born at the RVI hospital in Newcastle. This was held in St.James Church Newcastle. There we met other's who have gone through similar if not the same experiances as ourselves. We were given the chance to light a candle for our daughter, and write out a card for her. We plan to attend this each year. To pay our respects to all the lost babies.. not just of the RVI but all over the world.

A couple of weeks later we got the most amazing christmas present from our daughter. She had blessed us with another baby, we found out on boxing day that I was again pregnant, which is when the anxiety would begin.
We have since found out that we are expecting another baby girl. Baby Holly is due on Sunday 6th September 2009, and will be induced 2 weeks early in august. A little sister for Brooke to watch over.

Brooke Violet Fairbairn - Loved Forever, Forgotten Never