Lincoln Christopher French

Our perfect little boy Lincoln Christopher French was born on Wednesday the 21st of march at
Doncaster royal infirmary at 9.33am weighing 6lb 9oz he was 51cm long and just how I had dreamed him
he wasn’t due to be born till the 15th of April but even though he was early all the doctors and
nurses said he would be fine but put him in a incubator and moved him to the neonatal to make sure,
as his chest was a little wheezy and they thought he my have fluid in his lungs.

They did an x-rays to check his lungs for fluid but they were fine, they did blood tests on him
every few hours and his blood gasses were slowly getting better. Till they came to wake me at about
7pm to tell me they had put him on c-pap to help with his breathing. So I went up to the neonatal
and held his hand and stayed with him till 2am then went back to my room, then at 4am they came to
wake me to let me know they had put him on a ventilator so I went back up to the neonatal and stayed
with him till his dad came at 8am.
We talked to the doctors and they still thought he would be fine just that it was respiratory
distress because he was premature.

Then that after noon they sent off blood tests and told us they wouldn’t be back for 24 hours,
within a few hours the results were back and at about half past 9 we were taken into a side room.
They told us that Lincoln's body wasnt geting rid of his ammonia which is nurotoxic that travels to
the central nervous system through the blood and causes severe brain damage and coma. An what should
have come back as a normal ammonia count of around 40 came back at over 3000, this is why the
results had come back so fast. They told us they had been in touch with a specialist at sheffield
hospital and wanted to try and transfer him there to try and wash his blood. Lincoln's Daddy Howard
asked if he could talk to the specialist on the phone. The specialist told Howard that the highest
case he had treated was 1300 and that child was left severely disabled, Howard asked what
Lincoln’s chances were and if he thought it was the right thing to do, He told Howard that from
the sounds of Lincoln's condition too much damage had already been done and even if they could get
the ammonia out of his system he didn’t think Lincoln would ever wake up or breath on his own
again. An that there would be no way to stop the ammonia building back up because something wasnt
working how it should.

So at 8am on Friday the 23rd he was taken of the ventilator and we wrapped him in his blanket.
I remember holding him in my arms as we walked to our room on the neonatal, I could barely see where
I was going for the tears in my eyes. I remember Howard’s hand on my waist holding me up as we
walked past the reception, two women behind the reception looked at me holding our little with a
look that i would see on every face from then on when i whould tell people about my little angel. I
felt like my legs were about to give way with every step I took and my heart physically hurt from
willig him to wake up but knowing he wasnt going too.
It felt as though we were moving in slow motion but every thing elts was going by so fast I could
hardly catch my breath.
We got to our room and we just sat there holding him telling him how much we loved him. Every now
and then the doctor would come in too check too see if his heart beat had gone and every time he’s
heart beat was still there. I held him an just prayed and prayed for him to breath and prove them
wrong but he never did then at 8.30 the doctor came in a final time to listened for his heart beat
but it was gone our little boy had passed away in our arms knowing he was loved.


He was laid to rest at rose hill in the children’s garden in his little blue coffin, his funeral
service was done by reverend Clive that had christened him at the hospital before the passed away
Howard pick Damien Rice - Older Chests to be played as we went into the chapel at rose hill, Howard
spoke about our beautiful little boy an the short time we had with him and the memories he gave us
even in such a short time. I pick Sarah McGlaughlin - Angels to be played as we left the chaple to
walked round to the grave side. We asked every one just to bring a single red rose each an we laid
them all together at the side of his grave.

There isn’t a day that I dont think about him, I miss him more every day and would give up my life
just to see him and hold him one more time. I have to believe this happen for a reason I just wish I
new what it was. I believe that my little angel Lincoln was just too perfect for this world but one
day when it deserve him he will come back to me and he will feel I the love I have to give him.

We have been to see specialists at Doncaster an Sheffield an they have told us that they still dont
know what metabolic condition Lincoln had and that they believe it to be rare or unknown as every
test they have done has come back negative. They believe its most likely genetic and if so there is
a 1 in 4 (25%) chance that it may happen again with any child me an howard have but I know lincoln
will be up there watching over his little brother or sister an keeping them safe.
I gave birth to Lincoln's Litte sister Summer-Rose on the 25th of april 2008 and she was given the
all clear, I know she was sent to us by him and that he watched over her and kept her safe and
always will.

We were sent a beautiful little girl on the 25th of april that we named Summer-Rose she is healthy
and is the double of her big brother when she sleeps im sure she was sent to me by my angel lincoln
to give me strength an help me go on so i thank him every day for her.