Baby loss took away "something I've dreamed of my whole life"
Haydn Walden is telling his story - which is one of over 1000 being examined as part of a review into Sussex maternity care
Haydn Walden describes the pain of losing his newborn as coming from the inside - with nothing ever taking it away.
His daughter Meisee died in 2018 following delays to a crucial scan, which could have meant medics acted faster over a heart condition which led to her decline - and also killed her sister.
He sits here today describing his loss as having stolen his dreams of having a family.
Now, as just one of over a thousand cases being explored as part of an review into mums and babies being harmed in Sussex, he's determined to get justice.
"We'd already lost one daughter that we were prepared for, as prepared as you can be in that situation," he told Greatest Hits Radio.
"To lose one because of medical negligence and because people were not doing their jobs correctly...it's more about wanting accountability."
Haydn explained that he and his wife, Laura, were not listened to when they explained they were worried Meisee was suffering with the same condition as her sister - and was instead given suggestions it could be "sepsis or a metabolic issue".
"They hear a heart murmur. Straight away, my wife and I are panicking that there is something wrong and we keep asking, do you know what happened to her sister?" he recalls.
His concerns also lie within consistency of postnatal care for his wife - who he estimates was seen by '15 different midwives and 9 different consultants' in the four days after giving birth.
Worthing Hospital - where Meisee was born - was recently downgraded to 'needing improvement' over safety concerns.
Haydn suggests that while the review takes place, "the easiest thing to change across the board is communication":
"That's not just between staff. That's listening to what the parents are saying because they're with their child 24-7.
"They know instinctively when something isn't right.
And wouldn't you rather put their mind at rest by doing everything you can to just make sure what they're suspecting is wrong?
"Rather than just leave it and leave it and leave it and leave it."
Dr Andy Heeps, Chief Executive at University Hospitals Sussex, said: “Our thoughts remain first and foremost with the families whose babies have died or who have suffered harm when receiving care in our hospitals.
"We welcome Donna Ockenden’s review and remain committed to fully supporting the process so families can get the answers they need, and we take any possible opportunity to learn and improve.
"Our overriding priority is always to provide the safest possible care for mothers and babies – that is why our maternity teams have implemented many positive changes in recent years, and why we will work with the review team to find new ways of making our services better, and safer, still.”