Dad's devastation at loss of wife and son overnight
- Published
Gareth Jones lost his partner Ruth and his unborn son overnight
A man has spoken of his heartbreak after losing his wife and son overnight.
Gareth Jones' late partner, Ruth, died in 2015 due to a cardiac arrest.
She was pregnant with their son at the time, who suffered from a rare condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).
Three years on, he is using his experiences to raise awareness of CDH and to help families affected by the condition.
CDH leaves babies with a hole in the diaphragm, or in some cases with no diaphragm at all while they develop in the womb.
The condition means the stomach, bowels or kidneys are pushed up into the chest, preventing the lungs from developing properly or pushing the heart over.
Ruth died following a cardiac arrest
"We were making plans that most parents don't have to make," Gareth, 44, from Cardiff, said.
"With the most severe form of the condition, the likelihood was that Rhodri probably wouldn't have seen a huge number of days, but we were looking forward to having him in the world."
Rhodri was never born as Ruth died following an unrelated cardiac arrest.
'Unresponsive'
"It was a complete tragedy and such a shock for it to happen so quickly," he said.
"We'd been to see the Manic Street Preachers that night. We got home and went to sleep and the next morning, I found Ruth unresponsive."
With the help of the charity CDH UK, Gareth and his family have been able to channel their grief into raising funds and awareness.
They recently produced a cook book, filled with Ruth's favourite recipes with the help of Rhod Gilbert and Mary Berry, raising more than £10,000.
"Ruth enjoyed her life to the full. She loved music, loved Wales, and was a really fun person," Mr Jones said.
"It's just one of life's tragedies, and you never imagine that it will happen to you.
"It felt slightly unreal that it had happened but over time, you learn to live with it. You start to make sense of life again."
- Published29 June 2018
