EXC: Love Island's Jessica Hayes speaks about losing son Teddy

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    Former Love Island star Jessica Hayes has been campaigning during Baby Loss Awareness Week – almost one year after she tragically lost her unborn son Teddy at 19 weeks pregnant.

    In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the reality star spoke about how she’s fighting to help women who have experienced the loss of a child ‘gain more support’. 

    Jessica, 28, who announced the tragic loss of Teddy on November 30th 2020, spoke about her tragic experience in light of the campaign – which takes place annually between 9th-15th October.

    In memory of Teddy:  Former Love Island star Jessica Hayes has been campaigning during Baby Loss Awareness Week - almost one year after she tragically lost her unborn son Teddy at 19 weeks pregnant (pictured with son Presley, two)

    In memory of Teddy:  Former Love Island star Jessica Hayes has been campaigning during Baby Loss Awareness Week – almost one year after she tragically lost her unborn son Teddy at 19 weeks pregnant (pictured with son Presley, two)

    Speaking about life after the tragedy, she said: ‘Your life is just hell from then onwards really. 

    ‘I took three months off work. There isn’t really much support for women who experience this, so as an ambassador for the charity Saying Goodbye, that is what I am trying to do, to help women gain more support.’    

    Jessica, who is also mum to Presley, two, hopes to enhance the support women receive after experiencing a miscarriage – recently appearing on BBC Breakfast to speak about the problems women face when it comes to baby loss.

    Devastating: Jessica, 28, who announced the tragic loss of Teddy on November 30th 2020, spoke about her tragic experience in light of the campaign - which takes place annually between 9th-15th October

    Devastating: Jessica, 28, who announced the tragic loss of Teddy on November 30th 2020, spoke about her tragic experience in light of the campaign – which takes place annually between 9th-15th October

    Recalling her own experience after losing Teddy, she said: ‘When you leave the hospital after you have had a baby, you then usually have checks. 

    ‘Since I was also pregnant during Covid, everything for me was done over the phone, like meetings with consultants. After losing Teddy I was just left to deal with it.’

    Hoping to use her platform to help other women, Jessica said: ‘My message to women who are going through the same grief as I did would be to make sure to get help from your doctor or GP if you are struggling mentally. 

    Saying Goodbye ambassador: Jessica hopes to enhance the support women receive after experiencing a miscarriage

    Saying Goodbye ambassador: Jessica hopes to enhance the support women receive after experiencing a miscarriage

    Tragic: Speaking about life after the tragedy, she said: ‘Your life is just hell from then onwards really'

    Tragic: Speaking about life after the tragedy, she said: ‘Your life is just hell from then onwards really’

    ‘Reach out to someone whether that’s for therapy or to just have a chat. Finding a charity and speaking to families really helps, don’t suffer in silence.’

    Although support from her fans has helped her get through the difficult time, she also explained the difficulties of sharing her experience online.

    She admitted: ‘In time things do get easier and time is a healer, but it never does really go away. In the beginning being someone in the public-eye sharing my story, it really did help because everyone was so lovely and it made me feel like so many people were holding me in their thoughts.

    'What should have been': Recalling her own experience, she said: ‘After losing Teddy I was just left to deal with it'. Pictured: Her ultrasound just 3 weeks before her miscarriage

    ‘What should have been’: Recalling her own experience, she said: ‘After losing Teddy I was just left to deal with it’. Pictured: Her ultrasound just 3 weeks before her miscarriage

    ‘That really gave me some strength to carry on and not everyone has that, but then when you have been through trauma, you don’t want to keep re-living it, so that has been a bit tough as well.

    ‘I will continue to raise awareness but it can be hard to constantly re-live the feelings and experience, so being someone in the public-eye has been good but it has also been hard too, as you share so much with other people.’

    The influencer – who won the 2015 series of Love Island, confirmed her split from fiancé Dan Lowry in May – just six months after the pair lost their second child.

    Tragic: Recalling her own experience after losing Teddy, she said:'After losing Teddy I was just left to deal with it'

    Tragic: Recalling her own experience after losing Teddy, she said: ‘After losing Teddy I was just left to deal with it’

    Jessica admitted that although the break-up reminded her of the pain of losing Teddy last year, she is starting to feel better.  

    ‘Obviously my split with Dan resurfaced everything again, but now I am doing okay. It is only recently that I have been feeling a lot stronger though. I am finally adjusting to life with just me and Presley.’ 

    As Teddy’s anniversary approaches, the TV personality shared the lessons which her miscarriage taught her.

    Bereaved parents: The influencer - who won the 2015 series of Love Island, confirmed her split from fiancé Dan Lowry in May - just six months after the pair lost their second child

    Bereaved parents: The influencer – who won the 2015 series of Love Island, confirmed her split from fiancé Dan Lowry in May – just six months after the pair lost their second child

    ‘This whole experience with Teddy has taught me to love those closest to you because you just never know what is going to happen. 

    I don’t ever want to take a single second for granted in life. It has taught me a lot and I feel I have become a lot stronger. It has changed me in good ways.’

    Showing her gratitude for her son Presley during the toughest time, she said: ‘Without Presley I wouldn’t have got through it all. He gave me the motivation to get out of bed. You can’t be sad forever, even though of course for a long time all you are is sad.

    ‘The other way is that I look at Presley every single day and I think to myself, “what would his little brother have looked like? Would they have been twins?” When I see [other parents] with two boys, that can be really hard. It really hits home for me and breaks my heart still. It always will.’

    If you have been affected by this article, you can contact the charity Saying Goodbye on 0845 293 8027 or email support@sayinggoodbye.org.

    Lessons: 'This whole experience with Teddy has taught me to love those closest to you because you just never know what is going to happen... It has changed me in good ways'

    Lessons: ‘This whole experience with Teddy has taught me to love those closest to you because you just never know what is going to happen… It has changed me in good ways’

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