Heartbroken parents of newborn baby boy who died in Leeds call for longer bereavement leave for dads

Laura Hicklin and her partner Dale Barker, both 31, were devastated to learn that their son would be born with a congenital heart defect.

At 36 weeks into the pregnancy, doctors at Leeds General Infirmary told them it meant their baby would only survive for a short while after birth – if at all.

In November, their son was born and they named him Toby. He was immediately put on a ventilator.

And after just three weeks by his bedside, Laura and Dale had to say goodbye.

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“We managed to have a short time with him,” said Laura. “The day before he passed, he even opened his eyes for us, that was really special.”

She continued: “You never expect something like this to happen to you. It’s something you see on the news or read about in a newspaper.”

They experienced trauma as a result of their loss, and were disturbed to find that Dale would only be permitted a short time away from work.

Laura, a credit risk administrator from Chesterfield, said: “The standard parental bereavement leave for fathers is two weeks. That’s it. It’s disgusting.

“At this point, Dale was on paternity leave. He was due to go back to work before the funeral could even take place.”

They have launched a petition, which can be found here, calling on the government to extend bereavement leave for fathers.

They said that dads “deserve equal rights when dealing with such profound sorrow”.

The couple have also spoken to their MP, who they hope will add weight to their campaign.