Leeds woman, 24, speaks out to urge others to seek support after trauma of miscarriage

Fiona Ross outside her home in Moortown, Leeds. Picture by Anna Gowthorpe.

The 24-year-old, who suffered post traumatic stress disorder after her ordeal, is speaking out to raise awareness of the support out there for women who have had miscarriages.

Fiona, from Moortown, has organised a fundraising concert for the Saying Goodbye project, which supported her, at St Martin’s Church, in Potternewton, on July 4 – marking the week she was due to give birth.

After finding out she was six weeks pregnant in November, the customer service worker was admitted to York Hospital. She lost her unborn child and needed emergency surgery.

Fiona Ross with her partner Matthew Lazenby outside their home in Moortown, Leeds. Picture by Anna Gowthorpe.

“I had been having recurring nightmares ever since it happened and couldn’t talk about it at all and I went to the doctor and they suggested I had a bit of PTSD,” she said.

“It was only then I realised I wasn’t coping with it well. I tried to fight my way through, as I looked normal on the outside.”

Fiona, with the support of her partner Matthew Lazenby, sought help from Saying Goodbye and, after writing a Facebook post on her journey, realised many other women she knew have had similar experiences. She has since recovered and organised for the likes of Masterworks Chorale, Leeds Male Voice Choir and Songbirds to perform in aid of the not-for-profit organisation.

“Look around you, someone else has been through this. People need to know the charity exists and understand they’re not on their own,” she added.

For £8 tickets see facebook.com/events/1606298299612514/.

MORE COMMON THAN IS THOUGHT

Among women who know they are pregnant it is estimated one in six will have a miscarriage, according to the NHS.

A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 23 weeks and can occur for a number of reasons.

An ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. If a tube ruptures it can be life-threatening.

Saying Goodbye is a not-for-profit division of the Mariposa Trust, which was established by Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates, who have personally gone through the loss of five babies. Visit www.sayinggoodbye.org.