Inspirational mum who lost her baby son to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome to launch support group in Burnley

Her third child, a beautiful baby boy named Yusuf, died in February and Frankie will never have the chance to share any more Christmases with him. It’s a deep sadness that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Yusuf was just four months old when he died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), also known as ‘cot death’ – is the sudden, unexpected and unexplained death of an apparently healthy baby. In the UK, around 200 babies die suddenly and unexpectedly every year.

And even though Yusuf was a premature baby, born at 35 weeks, his death came out of the blue as he was thriving and doing well. The aftermath of such an enormous tragedy left Frankie barely able to function from day to day while still having to care for her two older children Isaac (five) and two-year-old Raiyah. Frankie said: “Yusuf was doing really well so that’s what made his passing so hard to bear and to understand.

“I woke up in the middle of the night with this horrible feeling in my stomach. I rushed downstairs and found Yusuf on the sofa. My husband and older son were in the room too.”

In the days after her loss Frankie, of Padiham, recalls feeling numb but the person she credits with supporting her through the ordeal is Sarah Parsons, founder of the charity ‘Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy’, in memory of her daughter Maggie who was stillborn two days before her due date in 2015. Launched to support other bereaved parents cope with the loss of a baby Sarah has raised over £60,000 for a ‘cuddle cots’ project, a bespoke cot with a cold unit fitted underneath which preserves the baby’s body and allows families to spend additional time with them after they pass away.

Frankie said: “Sarah has been absolutely wonderful, I can’t thank her enough for what she did for me.”

As a thanks for the support Frankie took part in a sponsored walk with staff and tots from her children’s nursery, Little Acorns in Padiham.

Attending a support group in Blackburn Frankie became acutely aware of the lack of support in Padiham and Burnley for parents who have lost children. So this year she has set her sights on launching one. And she has already found premises in Burnley town centre and received an anonymous donation to get the project off the ground. Frankie said: “It’s more than I could have hoped for and I can’t wait to get it up and running.

“I want the group to be for parents who have lost a child of any age, not just infants. It will be a place for people to come and talk to others who know exactly what they are going through.

“This will be Yusuf’s legacy to ensure his name is never forgotten. “