Est. read time: 4-5 minutes.
Parents whose baby son died from a brain tumour have thanked the āliving angelsā who cared for and supported their family. Louie Moss was just six months old when he passed away in April 2022, having received end-of-life care at the East Angliaās Childrenās Hospice (EACH) base in Milton.
Parents Rob Moss and Molly Woodward, from Peterborough, were supported throughout, along with six-year-old son Eli. The couple have spoken of the āexceptionalā care they received and say it gave them a lifeline at an unimaginably tough time.
Louie was born in October 2021 and the tumour was diagnosed after Molly took him for a doctorās appointment last Valentineās Day.
āEverything was fine for the first three months of his life but then he picked up a nasty cold,ā said Rob, 32.
āHe never seemed to fully recover and thatās when we first thought something might be wrong. We tried the usual remedies for colic and teething, on the doctorās recommendation, but nothing seemed to work. Molly took him to the doctors and then everything happened quickly.
āWe were sent to Peterborough City Hospital and then Addenbrookeās Hospital, in Cambridge. Thatās where the tumour was diagnosed. Louie had an operation to remove part of it and everything went well. He started showing signs of recovery and smiling again.
āThen, within a week and a half, everything went downhill again and he regressed from there.
āWe were told Louieās tumour was terminal and then faced the difficult decision to decide whether to try treatment that may have prolonged the time we had with him, but would have been detrimental to his quality of life, or to manage his pain and make him as comfortable as possible, and cherish the moments we had.
āLouie came home for a day but it was so intense for myself and Molly. The medication and tube-feeding was overwhelming, so we got in touch with EACH.ā
Rob and Molly, 31, took their baby to the hospice in the middle of the night and say that from that point on, the support they received was invaluable.
āFrom the moment we set foot through the door, there was a feeling of immense relief,ā said Rob.
āWe knew he was in the best possible hands and there was support for us, too. The staff couldnāt do enough. Nothing was too much trouble, and the only way I can describe them is as living angels.
āJust having someone to talk to made the world of difference. They arranged a picnic at the hospice so some of our family could come and have one last day with Louie.
āThey also arranged something else very special, granting one of Mollyās wishes. One of her hopes was to have a family day at the beach. Unfortunately, that wasnāt possible but the care team brought the beach to the hospice. It was so lovely, very kind and such a beautiful thing.
āThey went the extra mile and then even further and we couldnāt have felt more welcome or supported. The standard of care we received was exceptional and, because of that, weāll have a lifelong affinity with EACH and Milton. That connection will always be there.
āWeāve had the most horrific time but the support we received made all the difference. We wouldnāt have known what we were doing otherwise and I donāt know how weād have coped.
āIāve described the hospice as the nicest place you never want to visit. Obviously, no parent wants to go there but, given our circumstances, with a baby receiving end-of-life, we couldnāt have been in a better place.
āWeāll keep in close contact and just knowing that support is there makes such a difference.ā
In addition to navigating their own grief, Rob and Molly were also naturally concerned for Eli. Again, they received full support and say the six-year-old enjoyed spending time at the hospice. He particularly loved art therapy sessions and using the games room.
āHe only has positive memories, rather than feeling anything negative,ā said Rob.
āMolly and myself also received bereavement counselling and it helped so much. We were incredibly grateful for the support when our world was caving in, and, without it, weād have been lost and lacking direction.
āJust one example of that help was in terms of the way we explained things to Eli. We didnāt know how to phrase it or how honest to be. Itās not the kind of thing you can ask anyone but they were able to give us the very best advice.
āIt helped so much and, having lost one son, we wanted to ensure Eli was OK. We wanted to protect him as best we could, while at the same time dealing with and navigating our own grief and they explained that itās natural and normal to have days when you feel completely lost.
āThat care and kindness will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Itās human goodness of the highest order and restores your faith, at a time when it would be easy to get bogged down in negativity.ā