Maternity services campaign's vigil for tragic baby Maisie

Jan 12 2009 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CAMPAIGNERS braved freezing temperatures to support a couple who blame a controversial change in maternity services for the death of their newborn daughter.

About 50 people joined Alanna Delahaye and Glynn Bates for a vigil outside Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on Saturday in memory of Maisie Bates, who died last September.

Many of them wore T-shirts and held up posters bearing a picture of the tot.

Alanna was comforted by Glynn as she wept during a minute’s silence.

Addressing the crowd she said: “We don’t want anyone to go through what we have.

“What we went through was absolutely traumatic. Babies are dying because of what happened.”

The couple, of Coombe Road, Golcar, have started a campaign, Move Our Maternity Services Back to Huddersfield; Moms for short.

They believe Maisie would still be alive if consultant-led maternity services had been available at HRI when she was born.

The services were moved to the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, last August, a few weeks before Alanna was due to give birth on September 13.

The 21-year-old had enjoyed a trouble-free pregnancy and planned to have her baby at the midwife-led Huddersfield Birth Centre.