Dublin mum speaks about her heartbreak and hope after losing her baby girl

In 2021, Reita Mallak, who lives in Dublin city centre, was due to give birth to a baby girl.

However, less than two weeks before her due date, she suffered a pain she “never felt before” and was rushed to the hospital.

Unfortunately, she experienced a placenta abruption and lost baby Mya.

“It was a very, very healthy pregnancy. Every appointment, they said she was perfect. There were no bad signs,” Ms Mallak said.

“I went home, went to bed and at 1am I felt a pain and I couldn’t breathe, I never felt anything like it before.

“My partner called an ambulance, then he was running around packing for the hospital. We went to the hospital and were told that there’s no heartbeat. It was horrible to hear.

“It was the worst thing to happen in my life. She was my first born. It was very traumatising.”

Mya’s parents were young and excited about her arrival, and they never imagined they’d be planning a funeral.

“We didn’t know the funeral would cost so much. We still have to get a proper headstone. We can’t afford it all,” Ms Mallak said.

Despite the fear of starting a family again, they have since welcomed another baby girl.

“I was terrified of being pregnant again and so was my partner. We had another child, and she is a blessing. She’s two months old and makes us happy after everything that went on in our lives.

“Mya deserves a beautiful resting place for us, her little sister Layla and family to visit and remember her.”

You can donate to a fundraiser to help the family here.