“Due to clinical negligence that caused complications with her birth we lost our daughter, Lily.

She was delivered stillborn, resuscitated and we had her for 23 days but then she died.

It happened four years ago but my partner Paul and I are still angry. – the complications could have been avoided and Lily would be alive and with us.

In pursuing our claim with Thompsons Solicitors our goal was never money, the money doesn’t mean a thing.

We wanted to get justice for Lily.

Thompsons were very understanding, very sympathetic.

I was bogged down with grief and going into it all again was very painful, it felt like a minefield for me.

Luckily, Paul had the strength to do that.

Thompsons explained everything to us very thoroughly and always followed up any conversations with a letter.

If there was anything we still couldn’t understand we could always ring Thompsons up.

So we did, frequently, and they would always explain things until we did understand.

When Thompsons won the settlement on our behalf we did feel we had, at last, achieved justice for Lily.

And by making Lily’s case public we also hope it will help prevent others suffering the traumatic events we did.

If doing so can help eliminate such avoidable mistakes then Lily will not have died in vain.

Overall, we would highly recommend anyone suffering any situation to let Thompsons help them with their very considerable skill and expertise.

I have found it harder than Paul to move on, although it has had lasting consequences on his mental wellbeing which are still evident today.

I feel I’m still trying to get though the pain.

Every day is another day of lost parenthood we are deprived of.

But slowly you learn to accept the pain, it becomes part of you.

I used to work as a nursery nurse but found I couldn’t do it any more, not full-time.

I now do some similar work part time.

I’ve had some post-trauma therapy and that has helped.

And I’m experimenting with running a market stall – it’s called Lily Aradia in memory of Lily.

Paul helps me sometimes with the stall and it sells items for children like fairy rings and hair bobbles and bands.

As well as make up and hair products for grown ups.”

Michelle, mother of Lily
Paul, father of Lily