‘I’m the proud dad of 17 children… 12 of them are dead’
29.12.2023 - 22:51
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A dad has turned personal tragedy into a way to help others by volunteering with Daddy's with Angels (DWA), a charity offering advice, support and information to parents coping with the loss of a child.
In 2013, Daniel Hill faced the heartbreaking loss of his daughter, Isabella Hope, merely a week after her premature birth. A procedure with a series of medical errors led to irreversible damage to her organs - Isabella born on 10 July died on 17 July 2013.
After Isabella’s death Dan and his wife, Jade, started the campaign “Justice for Isabella Hope'' which saw the introduction of national guidelines for the use of Universal Veinous Catheter (UVC) in neonatal babies across England and Wales.
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“We’ve had a real tragedy and there were two ways it could have gone,” says Dan. “You can either fester in self pity or do something.
“We have beautiful children with us but it doesn’t take away the loss. I tell people I’m the proud dad of 17 children but 12 of them are dead. We have 12 angels, 11 lost in pregnancy and Isabella at a week old.
“So we wanted Isabella to mean something to people - they will never know she’s helped their child go home to families that wouldn’t otherwise, and that’s a beautiful thing. It’s a fight and we wanted to make sure the devastation we experienced wouldn’t happen again to another family.”
His dedication didn’t stop after the campaign’s success. Recognising the scarcity of support for grieving fathers from his personal experiences, Dan underwent bereavement counselling training, helping others to navigate the path of child