The parents of a newborn who died just hours after her birth have described losing "the most precious, beautiful" child.
It comes after a Nottinghamshire hospital trust admitted multiple failings in the death of baby Lilah Scrimshaw, who died in Bassetlaw District General Hospital on January 21, 2018.
Lilah's mum Brogan Smith, now 25, was admitted to the Worksop hospital 13 days after baby Lilah was due, and following a long and difficult labour she was born two days later.
Just hours later Brogan and her partner Jamie Scrimshaw's lives were turned upside down after being told that their baby would not survive.
She died after doctors decided to stop performing CPR, as a result of a lack of oxygen during labour and a distressing birth.
Speaking of her ordeal two years on mum Brogan, who lives in Worksop, says she is still "extremely angry" with what happened.
"There are no words to describe what it is like to lose a baby", she said.
"Jamie and I went into hospital so full of joy, but within just a few hours of Lilah’s birth we were told she was not going to survive. That’s the worst news any parents could ever hear.
"After the birth, I was only able to hold Lilah for a moment. She was the most precious, most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on in my entire life.
“They whisked her away to the special care baby unit (SCBU) but as I needed some stitches Jamie and I couldn’t go with her straight away.
"It was not until a doctor came to see us at around 5am that we realised how serious her condition was."
Brogan and Jamie were taken to see her in the special care baby unit where CPR on Lilah was stopped on their arrival.
In their search for answers, the family went on to launch legal action against Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust - where they brought about a claim of negligence alongside lawyers Simpson Millar.
An inquest into the death in November 2018 found that Lilah died as a result of a high volume of meconium, the first bowel movement of a new-born infant, being inhaled into her lungs.
The coroner's report found that this was a result of a distressing labour, and that the death was the result of a deprivation of oxygen.
The hospital trust has since admitted that it failed on both of these issues, and that these failings ultimately led to Lilah's death.
Brogan said: "The doctor told us that there was nothing further they could do to save her.
"At this point I knew, I knew my baby was gone. I held her after and she just looked like she was sleeping so I half expected her just to open her eyes. But that moment never came.
“Although we cherished every second with our daughter, seeing her body deteriorate over these three days has left us with memories that no parent should have of their beautiful baby.
"Had the trust provided the care they should have done, we would now have a two year old daughter running around our home."
David Purdue, director of nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, has apologised to the family.
He said: “On behalf of the trust, I want to share my sincere apologies and sympathies with both Brogan and Jamie.
"As was highlighted during the inquest, there were clear failings during the care of Lilah and for this we are truly sorry.
"Since this time, the department has seen a change in leadership, as well as undertaking an extensive review of guidelines and procedures in order to ensure colleagues deliver high quality and safe care for patients, mothers, their babies and families."
