The parents of a 9-month-old boy whose death was shown on an emotional episode of Inside Birmingham Children's hospital have spoken out about their decision to allow his final moments to air.
Adam and Serena tragically lost their son Leyton after he choked on a small piece of plastic. Cameras for the Channel 4 followed the family as his father, who has completed a first aid course, tried to revive him at home with chest compressions whilst waiting for an ambulance, and travelled with them to the hospital.
Despite being revived by doctors upon his arrival, and being put into an induced coma from which they later tried to wake him, Leyton sadly passed away in hospital days after the incident.
'All parents know the dangers of choking, but even when you think you’ve done all you can to protect your baby, accidents can always happen,' the couple reflected to the Birmingham Mail after their loss.
'We both decided to share our story for a few different reasons.'
'In memory of our son who put up such a brave battle, to show people just how incredible the staff and facilities are at Birmingham Children's Hospital and more than anything, if by watching this programme it makes parents even more aware of hazards, and saves just one little life and another family going through what we did and will continue to struggle with for the rest of our lives, then his life wasn't in vain.'
Images: Channel 4/Inside Birmingham Children's Hospital
'Adam and I were approached about being filmed very soon after Leyton arrived at the hospital,' Serena explained.
'It was all a bit of a blur at the time but we were assured we were under no obligation to go ahead if we changed our minds at any point. We didn’t expect to want to continue in the event of losing our beautiful boy. But once it became clear that Leyton wasn't going to get any better, we both felt an overwhelming sense of wanting to do something to raise awareness.'
'It's almost like you don’t feel like you. There’s that emptiness. It consumes your whole body. It’s a strange feeling.'
'If anybody was put in this situation you would just deal with it, you have to. We’ve got Cooper [the couple's elder son]. He’s a hero, he’s saved us.'
'Adam and I are stronger than ever. If we can survive this, we can survive anything.'
'I’ve lost the most precious thing you could lose but we still have life.'
Adam added, 'Just think of the good times with Leyton, that’s how I get through it. Just think of his smiley little face.'
