Lauren Goodger marked what would have been her daughter Lorena's fourth birthday on Wednesday, sharing a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
Lorena was born in July 2022, but tragically passed away minutes after birth due to complications with her umbilical cord. Goodger, who also has an elder daughter, Larose, shared that she and Larose celebrated Lorena's "heavenly birthday" with balloons and a cake. Larose, who turns five this month, participated in the celebration, which has become an annual tradition.
"Today marks my anniversary that will always be in my heart. Four years ago today, I gave birth to my beautiful Lorena. Happy 4th Heavenly Birthday, my angel," Goodger wrote. She expressed gratitude for the messages and support received on the anniversary.
In a recent appearance on "This Morning," Goodger recounted the events leading up to Lorena's death. She had planned a home water birth, but complications arose on the third day of labor when the baby's heartbeat could no longer be detected. This led to her being rushed to a hospital.
"It's like a blur because everything was quite calm at the beginning, then panic as the midwife, who I had before, couldn't find a heartbeat. That was a panic," she recalled. "When I did finally go into labour, the oxygen levels were lost and I was rushed in an ambulance. I turned up to the nearest hospital, they weren't expecting me as it was the nearest one."
Despite the efforts of more than ten doctors who performed resuscitations, Lorena could not be saved. Goodger stated that her daughter died due to oxygen loss.
Goodger, who has since separated from her partner Charles Drury but maintains a co-parenting relationship, described the years following Lorena's death as a period of being in "flight or fight." She stated, "My body, everything changed. I was in flight or fight. I have powered through as a single mum. I hope I can make my daughter proud."
For those affected by similar issues, the UK Child Bereavement line can be reached at 0800 02 888 40, and The Lullaby Trust can be contacted at 0808 8026868.