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A Leicester mother believes the support she received from a local charity was vital to her being able to cope after giving birth to two premature babies.

Rebecca Brooks from Beaumont Leys turned to ADAPT (All Dependent and Pre Term Babies) after her son’s death.

On average, 80,000 babies spend time in neonatal units in the UK each year.

ADAPT aims to provide a help to the families of premature babies needing this specialist care in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

The charity was set up by parents who had experienced the ups and downs of early life with a pre term baby, and wanted to help others experiencing the difficult time.

A shoulder to cry on

Rebecca said being able to speak to family support worker, Lesley Meachem was a great help.

“It’s nice to have a loving supportive family, but I think it puts so much pressure on them as well knowing that you feel this way.

“It’s nice to go to Leslie and say ‘You know what today I feel rubbish, I want to climb into a big hole and die’. You don’t want to hear that from your kids really.”

After losing her son in March 2009 Rebecca described feeling scared when she discovered she was pregnant again just two months later.

However she said that talking regularly with Lesley on the phone put things in perspective.

“She gave me the strength really to pull myself out and think you know what I can be a mum, we can be parents again to another baby.

“It’s not going to replace the child we lost but everybody deserves a second chance I think.”

Providing support

Lesley said her job is largely about being their for parents, whether they want to talk, laugh or cry.

For those parents who sadly lose their babies, it can just be comforting to know someone outside the family has memories of them.

“I think that’s also an important part of helping them too so that they can come and talk, and that baby is a real baby to them.”

The support network relies entirely on fundraising and donations. Lesley feels it is vital that ADAPT work continues in Leicester’s hospitals.

Lesley feels that ADAPT, which relies entirely on fundraising and donations, provides an essential service at Leicester’s hospitals.

“These parents are going through something that they never expected to.

“It is only a small amount of parents that go through this and they need all the love and support that can possibly be out there for them.”