Parents fought for 'dream' inquest so their premature baby's life would be 'on the record'

19.01.2022 - 20:43 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

A baby died just an hour after being born with an extremely rare condition, an inquest has heard.

Zak Stanton was almost five months premature when he was delivered at Royal Albert Edward Infirmary on October 27 2015.

He was born with a heartbeat at 6.56am but died shortly after 8am.

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Since losing their son, his parents have fought to have an inquest held, so that his life is a matter of public record.

Bolton Coroners Court heard that Zak had been diagnosed with Congenital High Airway Obstruction Syndrome (CHAOS) - which was only the fourth case recorded in the UK in the previous 20 years.

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Zak was born with abnormalities to his lungs, heart, diaphragm and trachea but bereavement midwife Sarah Howard told the court that he showed ‘signs of life’ after being delivered.

Mum Lindsay and dad Paul, both of Wigan, have since had two more children - one aged four and the other just five months old.

In 2020, Lindsay and Paul ran 27 miles to raise money for baby loss charity Aching Arms and arranged for the Face of Wigan monument to be lit up for Baby Loss Awareness Week

They described having an inquest for Zak as their ‘dream’, so that his life and death could recorded.

Area coroner Dr Alan Walsh said: “I have been very impressed and humbled by your dignity and the way you have fought for the life and death of your son in the past six years.

“I am pleased that we have reached some conclusion for what you describe as your dream.

“I am