Witham parents who lost baby son raising money for EACH

Parents Demi Little and Jordan Keys, from Witham, lost son Roman Keys when he was just 12 days old.

Roman, who suffered severe brain damage as a result of complications during birth, died on October 9 last year.

Baby Roman died at just 12 days old (Image: EACH)

Despite Demi’s labour and delivery being “pretty textbook”, with no indication anything had gone wrong, Roman was unresponsive when born.

He was quickly rushed to the resuscitation table before a code blue was called and the baby rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Demi, Jordan and Roman (Image: EACH)

Demi said: “Jordan and I were waiting in the room I'd delivered in for three hours until we got to see him again. It felt like days.

“After undergoing cooling treatment for three days in an attempt to give his brain a chance to recover and hopefully correct some of the damage, he had an MRI which confirmed he had suffered stage three severe Hypoxic Ischaemic Encephalopathy.”

After a week in the NICU at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, in Cambridge, he was transferred to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) base in Milton.

Whilst there, Demi, Jordan and Roman enjoyed music therapy and being in the sensory room, while EACH also helped in terms of memory-making with Roman.

They created hand and footprints and the hospice arranged for the Remember My Baby charity to come and photograph Roman.

EACH helped create memories through hand and footprints of Roman (Image: EACH)

Demi and Jordan, both 31, then made the heartbreaking decision to remove his breathing tube so he could “pass away comfortably in their arms”.

Roman was only expected to live for another 24 hours, however the family spent five days together and were looked after by the EACH care team.

“I'd read about hospices being amazing but always found that a little strange until now,” said Demi, who also has a two-year-old daughter, Nola.

“From the minute we walked in, we were made to feel so at home and every single person working there was amazing.

“The nurses couldn't do enough for us. They made sure we ate, they did our washing, they went shopping for us but never took a penny.

“We could have visitors in any numbers and at any times of the day, and there weren’t any restrictions, and the care team did so many incredibly kind things.

“When Roman passed away, two nurses were there by our side, and they were just amazing. I never believed people could genuinely care for others the way they do.

“They helped us so much and couldn’t do enough. It meant we didn’t have to think about anything other than Roman.

“People might think that it’s ‘just a job’ to nurses and carers but it’s so much more. They made the unimaginable bearable and loved Roman.”

Demi and Jordan with baby Roman (Image: EACH)

Now, as a way of showing their gratitude and saying thank you for the care they received, Demi and Jordan, both 31, have signed up for the charity’s Pier 2 Pier Norfolk walk, taking place in June.

Demi said: “They will truly be in our lives forever so it’s the least we can do to try to raise some money.

“Everything will add up and help people who find themselves in the unfortunate and tragic situation we’re in.

“We’re hoping to get a big group of walkers together and look forward to remembering and talking about Roman.

“We have very few memories but love to share what we have to keep his memory alive.”

To sponsor Demi and Jordan, visit bit.ly/3vH479t.