'I’m so sorry, there’s no heartbeat' - Fathers’ grief needs to be acknowledged across society
Lewis King, a lecturer who lost his son to stillbirth, is researching the often-overlooked grief experienced by fathers. His work aims to address the stigma and lack of support systems for men navigating pregnancy loss.
Why it matters
It sheds light on a critical mental health gap in medical and social support systems that typically prioritize the mother's experience.
Lewis King, whose son Freddie died at 31 weeks’ gestation, pictured with a photograph of Freddie’s feet. Picture: Paul Molloy
On November 11, 2023, at 5am, my wife, Jodie, and I sat hand in hand in a hospital room. She was in her 31st week of pregnancy and our baby had not moved for a while. A consultant began the ultrasound. Nothing. There was no familiar flicker of a heartbeat.
“Let me get another person in here,” the consultant said, seeking a second opinion. I knew. Jodie knew. Then came the words that changed our lives: “I’m so sorry, there’s no heartbeat.”
Four days later, Freddie Paul King was born at 7.52pm. He was the little man who made us parents.
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