When Elisa Laird did not feel her unborn baby kicking for a few hours, she suspected the worst. A hospital ultrasound confirmed her desperate fears — her baby’s heart was no longer beating.
Nine years have passed since baby Chloe was born still, and while time has somewhat dulled the pain of her death, for Elisa, her husband Cameron and their 10-year-old son Tyler, their hearts remain fractured.
“Chloe is still very much a part of our lives,” Elisa says. “When we talk about our family, Chloe is included in the conversation, and I often find myself having little conversations with her when I’m looking at her picture.”
L-R: Elisa, her son Tyler and husband Cameron holding a photo of Chloe.
For the Laird family, having photographs of Chloe has helped with their healing. Shortly after her birth, Heartfelt, a volunteer organisation that attends hospitals to take photos of babies who have passed away, captured precious images of Chloe with her family. The photographs helped preserve cherished memories of baby Chloe.
The images are so treasured, the Lairds wanted to ensure that every family grieving the loss of a baby could have access to photography during their darkest hours. Cameron set about raising funds via a sponsored walk to purchase a camera kit through Heartfelt for Mercy Hospital for Women’s Birth Suites.
“We really treasure our photos of Chloe and know how important they are to our family so we wanted to make sure that other people who find themselves in a situation like ours also have the chance to capture memories,” Cameron says.
I hope that through this camera, for families like ours, the memories of their babies can live on
Cameron, Elisa and Tyler presented the kit to Mercy Hospital for Women in May.
“Although it might not be something that people think they want at the time, down the track, most families are really grateful to have these physical memories,” Elisa says.
“I hope that through this camera, for families like ours, the memories of their babies can live on.”
Elisa, Cameron and Tyler presenting the camera to staff in the Mercy Hospital for Women’s Birth Suites.
The donated camera is a beautiful tribute to baby Chloe, and is inscribed with the message: ‘In loving memory of Chloe Laird — 7th July 2012. Forever in our hearts. Love always Dad, Mum and your Big Brother”.
Elisa also made another beautiful donation to the Birth Suites team. She had organised for her wedding dress to be repurposed into a number of tiny gowns for other babies born still to wear following their passing.
Elisa repurposed her wedding dresses into a number of tiny gowns for other babies born still.
The Laird family’s suffering did not end with the loss of Chloe. In 2013, Elisa experienced a miscarriage.
“It was heartbreaking,” Elisa says. “Stillbirth and miscarriage are devastating but they are not often freely spoken about. I hope that by sharing our story, we can help to raise awareness about stillbirth and miscarriage.”
One in 130 pregnancies ends in stillbirth, and up to one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage. Mercy Perinatal is a centre of excellence in perinatal clinical care, education and research based at Mercy Hospital for Women. It is internationally recognised as a leader in research into conditions including stillbirth, pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
“Through our trials, new medications and novel approaches, we aim to prevent or treat at-risk pregnancies, save lives and bring mothers and babies safely home,” says Mercy Perinatal Co-Director Professor Sue Walker AO.
You can help Mercy Perinatal bring mothers and their babies safely home by donating to Mercy Health Foundation: mercyhealthfoundation.org.au
Last reviewed August 15, 2021.