A heartbroken U.K. mom is speaking out about the devastating loss of her newborn son. Everyone has probably seen reports about rare illnesses that have claimed little innocent lives, but this mother’s story is a bit different. Unfortunately, her son died less than two days after he was born and it was all because of a preventable infection. However, time just wasn’t on his side. Now, she wants the world to know about her devastating loss in an effort to raise awareness about her son’s condition in hopes of saving other little lives.
According to Mirror Online, Tania Holmes gave birth to her son, Blake, back in 2009. They had 16 memorable hours together before things took a devastating turn. It has been reported that Blake contracted an infection that has been identified as Group B strep bacteria. Approximately, nine hours later, he died due to complications from the bacteria. Needless to say, the 31-year-old is still reeling over the tragic turn of events.
“One minute I had a newborn baby, and then they were telling me he was seriously ill and he was being taken to a different hospital – but he never made it,” Holmes said. “It was horrific, I buried my son before I was even due to give birth to him.”
Tania Holmes lost her newborn son to a common and treatable infection http://t.co/0G7rAAh4mQ pic.twitter.com/wYpndJ4Jji
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) July 14, 2015
Then, if the baby’s untimely death weren’t devastating enough, she later learned that his condition was actually preventable and treatable. According to the Worthing Herald , a “simple vaccination” could have saved his life. Holmes recently shared her reaction to the daunting discovery following her son’s death. “I went through an upset stage and then I was very angry. I just wish someone had told me about it and the risks. My son would still be alive if I had had a simple vaccination.”
Now, as part of International Group Strep B Awareness Month, Holmes is speaking out about her son’s fatal condition in hopes of helping others. She is now a Group B strep bacteria advocate dedicated to informing mothers-to-be so they can protect their unborn children. She is also fighting for the passing of a law that would require doctors to test mothers of the potentially fatal bacteria. “The Group B Strep Support charity holds an awareness month every July, and I thought it would be a good idea to do something to help. I’m just hoping to let people know what the condition is, and the need to get a swab test for the condition during pregnancy made routine.”
Group B strep bacteria is a serious condition that is considered a life-threatening illness up until a baby is three months of age. According to Opposing Views , statistics show “one newborn baby is infected each day in the U.K. and about one baby dies from it each week.” Although the survival rate is relatively high, there are still a number of long-term effects that are associated with it. The probability of a child developing “autism, blindness, meningitis and septicemia” is heightened with Group B strep bacteria.
[Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images]
