Fife mum shares her tragic baby's death born with hole in diaphragm
Keris Ritchie's daughter Maisie lost her life to congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) at just 19 days old
A St Andrews mum is sharing the tragic story of her baby girl who died after being born with a hole in her diaphragm.
Keris Ritchie's child Maisie was born with CDH, meaning she had to rely on a ventliation machine to keep her breathing.
But the newborn passed away in January 2017, just 19 days after she was born.
Keris says it made her question herself.
"I never got to hold Maisie until they knew she was actually going to pass away," she said.
"She was never stable enough for me to hold her. All you want to do is help but you can't do anything".
The condition is present in around 1 in 2500 births with survival rates for babies at around 50%.
"She was on drugs for her blood pressure, she was on drugs to thin her blood to keep everything functioning okay," said Keris.
"She was on about 13 different drugs."
The 24-year-old is now holding a fundraiser in the Fife town this weekend to raise awareness of the condition, with the money going to the neontatal unit Glasgow children's hospital, where Maisie was cared for.
"They were just so incredible, they're on their feet for 13/14 hours every day," said Keris.
"They also go out their way to make sure you're okay. As well as looking after these critically ill babies they're also looking after you.
"If I ever had a question they would answer it. They would reassure me and allowed me to be involved in Maisie's care personal care such as changing her nappies."
The event takes place at the Cosmos Centre at 12pm on Saturday.
For more information head to https://www.facebook.com/events/380865942727481/?active_tab=about.