Sophia was born on in November 2001, arriving unexpectedly 5½ weeks early. Her life was precious from the very beginning, not least because she was the surviving twin. Sophia’s mother carried on with the pregnancy under close medical supervision, determined to give her daughter the best possible start.
Later in the pregnancy, Sophia’s mother developed a urinary tract infection and was found to carry group B Strep (GBS). Because of this, she received intravenous antibiotics during labour to help reduce the risk of passing the bacteria to her baby.
When Sophia was born, she was taken straight to the Special Care Baby Unit. Although her arrival had been earlier than expected, she did well and spent three weeks in hospital before finally going home with her family. For the next 5½ weeks, life felt wonderfully normal.
“We had 5½ blissful weeks at home,” Mum Anna-Maria, remembers.
Then everything changed.
Sophia became sleepy and reluctant to feed. Her mum knew something wasn’t right. By the following morning, Sophia was having convulsions. She was rushed to St James’s Hospital, where medical staff immediately took her into critical care. A lumbar puncture confirmed the devastating diagnosis: late-onset group B Strep meningitis.
Sophia was placed on life support, but the infection had caused catastrophic damage. Her parents watched helplessly as their daughter fought for her life. After hours of agonising uncertainty, they were told there was no hope of recovery.
“It was time to say goodbye to my second beautiful angel,” her mother says. “It was the second hardest decision I ever had to make, after Hope.” Sophia died at just a few weeks old.
Although Sophia’s mother had been identified as carrying group B Strep during pregnancy and had received antibiotics in labour, Sophia went on to develop late-onset group B Strep infection several weeks after birth. Her family’s experience highlights the devastating impact that GBS infection can still have on babies and their loved ones.
In the years that followed, Group B Strep Support became a vital source of comfort and understanding.
“I received massive support from Group B Strep Support. They were amazing to me and my family. Jane Plumb was awesome, and I was fortunate to meet her at fundraisers.”
