A distressed young mother woke up to a heartbreaking discovery when she found her five-day-old baby lifeless in her arms. Lydia Pass, 18, was devastated to find her daughter, Arabella Mayer, unresponsive in the early hours of June 17. The incident occurred after Lydia fell asleep while sitting in a chair with the baby.
Arabella was born at the Royal Stoke University Hospital on June 12 and had been taken home to Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent, shortly after her birth. Lydia and her partner, Ryan, put Arabella to sleep and had gone to bed around midnight. They were awoken at 3 am by Arabella crying, tended to her, and then returned to bed.
Lydia later woke up at 5:45 am to find Arabella unresponsive in her arms, with no memory of picking her up or falling back asleep. An inquest revealed that Lydia may have been suffering from exhaustion related to anaemia following her challenging three-day labor, during which she had lost significant amounts of blood.
Upon discovering that Arabella had stopped breathing, Lydia immediately sought help. Paramedics were called, and Arabella was rushed to the Royal Stoke hospital, where her heartbeat was revived. However, she had been without a pulse for about 50 minutes by that time.
Dr. Sukesh Mohta, a consultant at the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit, explained the challenges of the situation and the efforts made to save Arabella. Despite their best efforts, the decision was made to withdraw life support on June 20.
A pediatric pathologist suggested that Arabella may have asphyxiated due to an undiagnosed genetic issue or the sleeping position. Detective Inspector Adam Goodyer ruled out neglect, emphasizing that it was a tragic accident and confirming that there were no neglect issues in the care of Arabella.
Coroner Lindsey Tonks recorded the cause of Arabella’s death as a delayed sudden death in the context of unsafe sleeping. She acknowledged the efforts of the family in providing a loving environment for Arabella and extended her condolences, emphasizing that there was no indication of intentional harm or neglect.
