Saxmundham mum pays tribute to brave and smiley baby boy

When Parker Rayner was born, his family in Saxmundham knew that they may not have him for long.

So, Parker’s parents, siblings, family and friends made sure to make every moment count, and said they couldn’t be prouder of the smiley, happy baby that he was.

“He impacted all our lives for so much better,” said Parker’s mum, Samantha Rayner. “If I could do it all over again, I would.”

Parker was born on March 24. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker being cuddled by his mum, Samantha. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker with his proud dad, Kyle. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker's family said that he charmed everyone he met. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)

Samantha and her husband, Kyle Rayner, welcomed baby Parker on March 12. They were overjoyed, having already experienced pregnancy loss.

Their first scan at Colchester showed that everything was progressing as expected. However, an early 12-week scan at Ipswich Hospital showed that there was fluid on the back of Parker’s neck, which indicated there might be an issue.

The couple were told that the fluid could be due to either Down’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome, or a rare condition known as Edward’s syndrome, or trisomy 18.

Further tests showed that Parker did indeed have Edward’s syndrome.

Edward’s syndrome is a rare genetic condition and occurs when a baby is born with an extra copy of their 18th chromosome.

Parker had full Edward’s syndrome, meaning that he had an extra chromosome 18 present in all the cells in his body.

This was incredibly difficult for Samantha and Kyle to hear. According to the NHS, most babies with Edward’s syndrome will die before or shortly after being born.

Parker enjoying a cuddle with his proud parents. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker with his big sister, Alix. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker pictured with his big brother, Oliver. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker snuggles up with Kyle's cousin, Rhys Ford. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker being cradled by his Nanny, Lyn Soer. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)

Parker arrived by C-section on March 12.

“When he arrived, the bereavement midwife who we had worked with at Ipswich Hospital told Kyle in the theatre that we only had minutes with him, because his breathing was really bad,” remembered Samantha.

“So, they brought him over to me, and miraculously he decided to power through by laying on my chest.”

Parker spent a few days in hospital being looked after by the “amazing” neonatal intensive care unit, while his parents learned how to care for him, feeding him via a tube.

For a short while, they stayed at the Treehouse hospice run by EACH. However, with Samantha’s elder two children at home, they soon decided to take Parker home so that they could all be together as a family.

Taking walks with his family in Saxmundham, Parker made friends wherever he went. They will always remember sitting with him in Elmhurst Park in Woodbridge, with Parker enjoying the spring sunshine.

“He touched everybody – he was like a little local celebrity,” remembered Samantha.

In hospital, too, Parker was more than happy to meet doctors and nurses who had come to observe him and melted their hearts.

“Everybody fell in love with him, he was definitely a ladies’ man,” said Samantha.

While they were told that Parker’s spina bifida might make holding him difficult, Samantha said they needn’t have worried.

“He loved to cuddle. He was very affectionate, he loved being held,” she said.

Parker wearing his matching baby blue hat and cardigan. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)Parker snuggled up in his cosy blanket. Image: Samantha Rayner (Image: Samantha Rayner)

Samantha and Kyle always felt that Parker would let them know when he was ready to go.

“It was like he knew,” said Samantha. “He was smiling all day. It was like he was telling us.”

He passed away in the early hours of April 11.

Since Parker arrived, Samantha, Kyle and her children have been determined to spread awareness of Edward’s syndrome.

At school, 16-year-old Alix has been talking about her brother’s syndrome in science classes. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Oliver told his mother how excited he was to meet someone with partial Edward’s syndrome at work.

Kyle and Samantha are sharing the information they wished they had known, in the hopes of helping other parents.

Not having imagined that they would be able to take him home, they hadn’t bought many baby supplies, and so family and friends rallied around them to find everything they needed.

Samantha and Kyle also wish that there was more support available for dads, as fathers’ grief can sometimes be overshadowed by the mother’s experience.

• What support is there for bereaved parents in Ipswich?

It is their hope that a community of people affected by Edward’s syndrome can come together, to share knowledge and experiences.

“Parker was his own bit of good in his own right,” said Samantha. “He taught us so much. Even now he’s gone, our eyes have been opened to so many things.”