'Our world fell apart overnight when we woke up to find daughter stiff and blue'

The heartbroken parents of a 14-month-old girl who died unexpectedly in her sleep have spoken of the harrowing moment their world completely collapsed.

Enya Burgess, 29, and Scott Stanley, 28, have detailed their devastation after they went to wake their young daughter Lily-Anne. The couple, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, say their beloved baby was “stiff” and “blue” before they frantically called for an ambulance. Tragically, Lily-Anne was sadly pronounced dead, with the cause later determined as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood, leaving her parents with “no answers”. After Lily-Anne was taken to a local hospital for further checks, Enya, who works as a customer service advisor, and Scott, an asbestos consultant, claim they were left sitting in a busy A&E waiting room while processing the news of their loss, which was “mayhem”.

The experience was even more traumatic for the couple, together for more than three years, after they claim they were not offered any ongoing counselling or support from the hospital and there was no dedicated room onsite where they could grieve. Without the kindness of two hospital staff members, Enya and Scott felt they would have had “nothing” – prompting them to launch a GoFundMe page to raise money to improve bereavement services at the site as a way of helping other families through the “unthinkable”.

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“Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, cherish every moment you can,” Enya told PA Real Life. “It was just a normal Tuesday for us, and the next day our world fell apart, just overnight. We want to make these changes to create a lasting legacy for Lily-Anne and to help other parents and families when they are going through the unthinkable.”

Scott added: “Every hospital should have these services on offer for when you lose a child. You need help and support to process the news, and a private place to do so.” Enya and Scott described their daughter, Lily-Anne, who had no previous health issues, as “very loving and very cheeky”.

“She was very caring and she liked to share a lot, she had a big heart,” Scott said. He said it was a morning like any other on May 7 when he got up for work. "I went downstairs, made (Lily-Anne’s) milk and I went to get her up and ready for nursery… she was stiff on her front and she was blue,” Scott said, becoming emotional.

The couple called an ambulance while Enya said she ran out of the house to shout for help. One of their neighbours, an off-duty police officer, was able to start administering CPR to Lily-Anne. Enya said it was “craziness” as both police officers and an ambulance arrived at once, before the couple were told it was confirmed Lily-Anne had died in her sleep, aged one day under 14 months.

Lily-Anne was taken to King’s Mill Hospital in Nottinghamshire for further checks while Enya and Scott followed behind – but they claim they had to sit in the A&E waiting room following their very recent loss. “It was mayhem – we were sat there for a good half-hour, sitting around other people, wondering what the hell is happening,” Enya said.

The couple said they were then met by doctors before being taken into a side room and questioned about Lily-Anne’s health. “They did some initial checks on her and confirmed there were no signs of struggle, that there was no obvious reason as to why she had passed,” Enya said.

From there, Enya claims she and Scott were moved to another room located “right next to” the children’s A&E waiting room. “It was literally just a dingy, dark room behind some toilets, and we could hear everything going on,” Enya said. “We were in shock, it was triggering in a way considering what we were going through.”

The couple claim they were not offered any counselling or support from a dedicated bereavement team and there was not a specific area onsite where they could process their loss privately. They also claim that while bereavement support is on offer at the hospital, it is only for those where a child has died under a certain age – and Lily-Anne was too old for them to receive this service.

On May 19, Lily-Anne was transported to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London where a post-mortem examination was conducted. On June 23, Enya said her daughter’s death was officially ruled as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC).

Around 40 children are affected every year by SUDC in the UK, often going to sleep and never waking up, according to SUDC UK, a charity dedicated to research and support. Enya, Scott and their loved ones held a funeral for Lily-Anne on June 6 – although they say they have not processed her death. "It’s hard because we don’t have an answer, there was no reason why she died,” Enya said.

Motivated by their experience, Enya and Scott have launched a GoFundMe page with the aim of enlisting a bereavement support team for all at King’s Mill Hospital, as well as creating a dedicated bereavement suite at the site – raising over £2,000 so far with a target of £10,000. “My goal is to get this support in place to help other families in the future,” Enya said.