Jude and Geoff Davies are turning personal tragedy into a force for good in memory of their stillborn son
IN December 2019, tragedy struck for expectant parents Jude and Geoff Davies.
Already parents to six children between them from previous relationships, the couple had originally decided that six was “enough”.
But after their marriage in summer 2019, the couple decided to try for a baby of their own. Ms Davies became pregnant shortly after.
After experiencing a minor bleeding incident early in the pregnancy, Ms Davies was given the all clear by an Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit (EPAU). The couple had every right to be positive.
But on December 21, the bleeding returned. Ms Davies initially rang the ambulance, but was directed to A&E before being told there “wasn’t a lot they could do” on Christmas weekend.
They were sent home, but her condition worsened. Returning to hospital, the couple were told that Ms Davies had miscarried 12 weeks into her pregnancy.
In the weeks after, Ms Davies was “lost at sea”.
“I struggled with a lack of support,” Ms Davies said, citing expensive counselling sessions with waiting lists of up to six months.
That was when Ms Davies and her husband decided to set up a group of their own.
“We were just thinking: how can we make this experience a little better for other people going through it,” Ms Davies said.
Originally starting as a support group aiming to provide care packages to mothers in overnight hospital stays, Morgan’s Wings – named after their stillborn child – is now pending official charity status having raised the £5,000 required for registry.
As of November 2022, its services have been used by around 820 people, with some of its packages being sent as far as America, Greenland and Africa.
These packages include certificates of life, memory boxes, angel bears featuring the baby’s name and care packages for mothers facing overnight hospital stays. Each service offered comes from Jude’s own reflection on what she found missing throughout her own experience.
“We left the hospital with nothing,” Ms Davies said, describing the reasoning behind the charity’s push to provide a tangible service. “We wanted to create something that would recognise that there was a baby,” Ms Davies explained.
Although geared towards support for mothers, Morgan’s Wings aims to provide support across all members of affected families.
When asked about the affect of stigma on the men supported by the charity, Mr Davies noted that there was a reluctance to speak. “The talk that I get in the dads’ community is about protecting the mums,” he said. “The natural instinct is to protect first.”
And he advised other fathers: “Your partner needs to know you’re upset as well.”
The couple hope to continue their work, and are looking to expand their team of volunteers due to increased demand for its services.
Ms Davies’ own full story can be found on the Morgan’s Wings website. The couple can be contacted through the site or on 029 2132 6936.
