A grieving mum whose baby died from sepsis has slammed an "insensitive" Comic Relief advert which jokes about keeping children alive.
Charlotte Cooper's nine-month-old baby Heidi passed away on July 11, 2019, after contracting pneumococcal septicaemia.
She and husband Andrew, both 41, have spent the last 18 months trying to come to terms with losing their daughter - but were stunned after spotting the billboard near their home in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.
The advert is part of a joint campaign with Maltesers encouraging people to open up and share, reports the Daily Record.
But the billboard also contains a tweet reading: "With the crushing weight of responsibility that comes with keeping a baby alive, I sometimes wonder if i should have got a Guinea pig. #themassiveovershare."
Charlotte said: "I couldn't believe what I was reading. That is just so triggering.
"I am all for supporting maternal mental health, but it is not okay to support one person's mental health by destroying someone else's.
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"It's so disappointing that they chose to use a comment which makes a joke about keeping babies alive. I wasn't able to keep my baby alive so to see something like that is very traumatising."
She went on to say it seems to be "totally insensitive" to anyone who has lost a child or have fertility issues.
However, both Mars Wrigleys UK - who make Maltesers - and Comic Relief say the campaign is about raising money and awareness for maternal mental health.
And money raised will support projects like The Happy Mums and Smile Group.
Both Mars and Comic Relief have reached out to Charlotte to speak about her concerns.
A spokesperson for Comic Relief said they are "very sorry" for Charlotte's loss, but emphasised the quote is a "personal anecdote from a parent" as part of the 'Over Share' campaign.
They said the initiative "encourages mums to share their experiences online" to "highlight the importance of maternal mental health in a relatable way" and "help people access key services".
"Sadly, this has not been Mrs Cooper’s experience, and we will take her important feedback onboard with future work," they added.
A Mars Wrigley UK spokesperson also said they were "incredibly sorry" to learn of Charlotte's loss, adding: "This is something that no parent should go through."
But they said the campaign "provides an important platform" and is "making a meaningful difference", with tens of thousands having visited the Comic Relief Maternal Mental health hub.
Baby Heidi fell ill in July 2019, vomiting and suffering with a fever, and Charlotte took her to Wishaw General Hospital.
Medics thought her symptoms were viral and she was checked over and sent home.
However her temperature spiked again the next day and she was re-admitted with her condition rapidly deteriorating.
En route to theatre Heidi's heart stopped and while she was revived, her parents were told her brain had been deprived of blood supply for too long.
Charlotte and Andrew later made the heartbreaking decision to switch off their daughter's life support machine.
Like most babies, Heidi had been vaccinated against pneumococcal bacteria, but caught a strain that is not included in vaccinations from a stranger's cough or sneeze.
The bacteria caused her to develop sepsis and also meningitis.
