After trying for several years for a baby, Christina Cowin, who is Health Minister David Ashford’s sister, was delighted when she finally became pregnant, as she explains:

’I had polycystic ovaries and I was put on Clomid which stimulates the ovaries so that you can ovulate because I couldn’t ovulate on my own.

’Five months later I was pregnant and it felt like a miracle.’

Everything seemed to be going well until Christina went for her 20-week scan and was devastated to learn that her baby, a little girl they had planned to name Ruby, had no heartbeat.

A nightmare few days followed, as she recalls: ’They took me in [to hospital] on the Sunday and I had to go through labour.

’They induced me on the Sunday morning at 10am and I had Ruby at twenty past six.’

She and Martin then gave permission for her to be flown to Alder Hey the following day for tests to try and ascertain what had gone wrong with the pregnancy.

It turned out that during the pregnancy her blood clotted so there was no oxygen getting to the baby.

Christina says: ’I was lucky in a way because they found out the problem.

’If it had happened any earlier in the pregnancy and they would never have known what had caused it.

’Now, any future pregnancies I have I will immediately be put onto blood thinning injections.

’We will obviously try again and hope for the best.’

Many parents who have a stillborn child like to spend time with their baby and take photos and it is now routine for hospitals to give them the time and space to do this.

However Christina and Martin decided that this was not for them, preferring a different way to remember Ruby, as she explains: ’Me and Martin just decided personally, for us, we didn’t want to see her and remember her that way so we’ve still got all her scan photos and we got hand prints and had her blessed by the vicar.

’We are quite strong but we still had to go through a lot because we still had to wait for her to come back and then we had to go through a burial.

’She is buried in a tiny little coffin with my dad and my grandparents so we had to go through that as well.’

Christina goes on: ’For me and Martin it’s been good to be open about what happened because, when you lose a child, it can be hard to go back to work.

’People don’t know what to say to you so they don’t want to approach you.

’Some people would cross the road [if they saw me] because they don’t know what to say.

’But, for myself and Martin, we felt quite good talking about it, to show other people if you want to it is OK to talk about it and keep Ruby’s memory alive.’

Then Christina was contacted by a friend from school, Torie Kissack, who runs the local charity, Tabitha’s Trust, named after a baby that she herself lost.

She had heard what had happened and wanted Chrsitina to know that she was happy to offer any support, including the provision of a special way to remember Ruby.

Christina says: ’She did a beautiful memory box for me and she put little bits inside.

’Now, for birthdays, Martin will get a card from Ruby so we put them in the memory box with all her scan pictures and my little nieces did pictures for her and we put them in so it’s a lovely little thing just to have.

’Torie also said: "If you need to talk or need any support I’m here."

’Me and Martin got through it with the family and between the two of us but her charity does help a lot of people that maybe don’t have the family to talk about it or don’t want to talk to their family.

’People are different in the way they can open up.’

Tabitha’s Trust also gave Christina what was to them an important acknowledgement of the existence of their baby: a ’birth certificate’.

Christina says: ’We would have have loved a birth certificate which is currently not available to babies born below 24 weeks whose births are not registered, which I don’t think is right because you’ve still gone through a birth.

’Tabitha’s Trust also made one for us.’

Another charity has helped Christina and Martin to keep Ruby’s memory alive.

Sleeping Angel Wood, in West Baldwin, will supply and plant a tree for anyone who has suffered the heartbreak of a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.

A plaque is placed on each tree with the baby’s name and a little motif such as a teddy bear or a butterfly, chosen by the parents.

It provides a place for families to go and visit and remember their baby.

Christina says: ’It’s sad in a way to see all the trees but it’s a really nice place to go if you’re not up to going to the cemetery.

’I don’t want to take our nieces to the cemetery so I take them up there and in the summertime it’s absolutely beautiful.

’They can hang things on the trees and put roses down. My mum planted daffodils and at Christmas we put baubles on the tree.

’It’s a fantastic charity and they’ve done so much work [providing] a little pathway and little lights.’

Tori Smithies, from the Sleeping Angel Wood charity, said: ’Sleeping Angel Wood aims to provide families a little solace during the longest and loneliest journey.

’Planting trees with families like Christina and Martin is bittersweet.

’We wish we weren’t needed but we are glad that we are able to help with the healing .

’Little Ruby would be super proud of her mummy and daddy and the money they raised will go towards helping more families just like them.’

Recently Christina decided that she wanted to do something to help the two charities for the help that they had given her:

’I wanted to raise the money to say thanks but also to put it out there and raise awareness that they are there to help others too.’

She organised a Murder Mystery Night to benefit the charities and brother David paid for the buffet.

’He’s been brilliant, really supportive,’ says Christina.

’The event raised £2,840.42 which was shared between the charities.

Christina adds: ’Acknowledgement of Ruby was important too.

’I wanted to show people that even though she’s not here she’s still a part of us.’