My Story

Thank you for visiting Donnie’s page!

This will be a dedicated fundraising page in memory of our little boy Donnie John Charles, who was born sleeping on 20th Sept 2025. Ourselves, along with family and friends, will be committed to fundraise for the Bereavement Midwives at Northampton General Hospital, as the work they do to support bereaved families like us is incredible! We want to raise as much money as possible for their Daisy Suite Appeal, to say thank you.

We have many events planned in 2026 and from this day forward, we will keep Donnie’s name alive and turn this awful nightmare into something positive!

Thank you
Sadie & Krissi Charles - Donnie's mum & dad 

Our story by Sadie  

I had a great pregnancy, until it came to a sudden end, without warning. 

On the evening of the 19th September at 40+3 weeks pregnant, after a routine scan 4 hours before showing everything was ‘perfect’, I had a Concealed Placental Abruption which affects less than 1% of pregnancies and is very hard to detect. This is what instantly took the life of our precious baby boy, but this was unbeknown to us. We thought I was in labour, so I was sat on my birthing ball breathing through the most intense contractions, with no idea that I was actually suffering from internal bleeding. 

Due to the level of pain I was in, after arriving to hospital we were greeted by midwives with towels thinking I was about to give birth but how wrong we all were. After a short period of time, a heartbeat wasn’t detected which is a moment no parent should ever go through, and one that we will think about every morning we open our eyes and every night before we go to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing our baby kicking around during our scan that day and feeling movement all evening - how was this happening to us? But from that moment on, everything just spiraled out of control.

All of a sudden, I started to become very unwell so a decision was made by a consultant, who I owe my life to, that I was to have an Emergency C Section under General Anesthetic. Donnie was born on 20th September at 1:42am but in recovery, I started to hemorrhage. I then suffered from DIC (Disseminated intravascular coagulation) a rare blood clotting disorder that causes uncontrollable bleeding. This bleeding didn’t stop for 6 hours, with a team desperately trying to save my life, which I will be forever grateful for. During this time, my family were sat waiting for updates, not knowing if I was going to survive. I lost just under 5 litres of blood, nearly my full blood volume, an unimaginable amount to lose with a fatality rate of 98%, giving me a 2% chance of survival. I had a major blood transfusion where I was given 12 units of blood in surgery and then placed into a coma and was given a further 9 units in intensive care. 

Donnie was handed to Krissi straight after delivery and was told the words he always wanted to hear “It's a boy”. 8lb 8 of pure perfection, he looked just like his big sister! Curly brown hair, chunky legs and the cutest button nose! I never knew the gender of Donnie until I came off life support, but deep down I always knew I was carrying a baby boy.

After being in Intensive care for several days, I then spent a total of 2 weeks recovering in the Snowdrop room at Northampton General Hospital, which is the Maternity Bereavement suit, supported by the Bereavement Midwives. This space was such a blessing, as it meant I didn’t need to be on the Labour Ward surrounded by newborn babies. It was a place for me to escape and recover, spending all my time with Donnie. It was a precious time as Donnie was in a cold 'cuddle cot' so we were all able to cuddle him, kiss him and love him - something we’ll be eternally grateful for.

Leaving my hospital bubble was tough as it was the first time in 2025 I was walking but not carrying my baby - instead I was carrying a memory box full of prints, photos and moulds all made by the Bereavement Midwives. 

They said what happened to me was rare, unfortunate and unavoidable and if I had my planned natural birth, I would have also lost my life, meaning Donnie passing away saved me - our little guardian angel. 

Through waves of grief, sadness and dark times, our 3 year old little girl Chessie is our distraction and now her little brother is our shining star.

We hope to use Donnie’s name and our experience, to help others who have been affected by similar situations and raise vital funds that will make a remarkable difference.

We are so grateful to all the medical staff at NGH who played a role in saving my life and my recovery. 

Donnie John - you are forever our newborn and always our angel. We love and miss you very much xx