An Irvine couple have spoken of their heartbreak after their two children died within eight months of each other.

Lyndsay Crossan and Stephen Bryden have suffered every parent’s nightmare – twice – after losing their newborn son Hunter then their 11-week-old daughter, Lucie just months apart.

The couple, from Carron Place in Castlepark are now trying to rebuild their shattered lives after laying Lucie to rest this week.

Lyndsay said: “It still doesn’t feel real. I feel numb. Stephen is devastated too. We just can’t believe this has happened again.”

Irvine Times: LucieLucie

The couple were delighted to discover they were expecting a baby last summer, but tragedy struck just days before Christmas 2018 when Lyndsay went into labour at just 23 weeks.

She gave birth to a son, Hunter, but tragically he survived for just 25 minutes before his tiny body gave in on December 22.

Lyndsay said: “We were absolutely devastated. We only had him for 25minutes before he died.”

Two months later, in February the couple were thrilled to discover they were expecting again. But when Lyndsay was just 23 weeks pregnant her waters broke. By 24 weeks she went into early labour again and Lucie was born on July 20 this year. She weighed just 1lb 7oz – 640gms.

Lyndsay said: “She was absolutely tiny, I could hold her in the palm of my hand. Doctors said it would just be a waiting game to see if she survived the first week. We just couldn’t believe it had happened again.”

Irvine Times: Stephen with LucieStephen with Lucie

Lucie was put into special care at Ayrshire Maternity Unit at Crosshouse Hospital where Lyndsay says she sailed through her first three weeks and was getting stronger every day. But the couple’s hopes were dashed when Lucie took a turn for the worse and was transferred to Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Sick Children.

Lyndsay said: “She stopped passing water so they sent her to Glasgow for a scan to see what was wrong. She had sepsis and then she started to retain water. We still don’t know how that happened. She was fine in the morning then by the night time she was very, very ill. She was still retaining fluid and they could not get her to pass water. Even the doctors couldn’t understand it.”

Eventually Lucie’s tiny body could take no more and she passed away on October 6. She was 11 weeks old.

Lyndsay said: “It still doesn’t feel real. When I was pregnant with Lucie I was terrified it would happen again, but after she got through the first few weeks we were so hopeful, but then we ended up reliving the same nightmare again.”

Irvine Times: Lyndsay and Stephen with HunterLyndsay and Stephen with Hunter

Lyndsay says the couple are now trying to pick up the pieces and have had amazing support from friends and family, but have found it difficult explaining to Stephen’s seven-year-old son Charlie from a previous relationship.

Lyndsay said: “Charlie has been great. We were so upset having to tell him his baby sister had died so soon after his baby brother.

“We don’t know where to go from here. The hospital has said they will do all kinds of tests on me to see if they can stop it happening again if we were to get pregnant again, but to be honest we just feel totally numb just now.”