Littlehampton woman who tragically lost her son at six months old not giving up on motherhood

Claire Fraser said she took having a child for granted and after ‘kind of trying’ to conceive in a former relationship finally fell pregnant with a new partner.

Sadly Claire miscarried, but three months later she conceived again and soon gave birth to her son Rocco after just 26 weeks in the womb.

Being born so prematurely left Rocco facing a battle for survival, which he sadly lost at the end of 2018, aged six months.

But it was Claire’s experience of being a mother, and her enduring love for Rocco, that inspires her to keep trying for a baby.

“It was something I had wanted for so long, but then having to watch my son die was horrible,” said Claire, who is 38 years old.

“Before I had Rocco I wanted to be a mum, but actually having Rocco and that love, it’s just that I can’t not have that again.

“The dreams of taking him to the park, or feeding the ducks or just making cakes with him. All that love that I have for Rocco is still inside. I need to be a mum.”

Determined to conceive again, Claire spent all her savings on IVF, encouraged by her doctors that she was fertile.

She was left disappointed when the treatment in August, which costs £8,000, did not take.

On top of everything else, she was made redundant from her job on Tuesday (September 8).

Claire’s friend Fiona Colliss has now set up a fundraiser to pay for another round of IVF – the response to which Claire said has ‘taken her breath away’.

“Why would anyone want to help me?” She said. “People have their own issues and troubles, but it seems like people do actually care.”

She added that strangers have messaged her out of the blue to offer support and more than £500 has already been raised.

Visit www.gofundme.com/f/pc5ma2-ivf to help support Claire’s fundraising campaign.