Annabel and Sam's rainbow baby journey
29 July 2026
In attendance were parents Annabel and Sam Lazarus, who were supported by the maternity team during and after the devastating loss of their baby Zachary, and during the pregnancy and birth of their rainbow baby, Isla.
In April 2025, Sam completed the Three Peaks Challenge in memory of Zachary with his friend Rhys, raising £13,359 for our Poppy's Fund Rainbow Clinic Appeal. They shared their story with us.
Six months after getting married, we were excited to start a family and found out we were pregnant with a baby boy. At 32 weeks, we attended triage after noticing reduced movement and, devastatingly, there was no heartbeat. In an instant, our future turned upside down, and we were thrown into a new world of baby loss.
Despite this being the most painful experience of our lives, we were provided with incredible support and compassion from all staff, who helped us safely deliver our beautiful boy Zachary on 26 November 2024.
They gave us the space to meet and spend time with Zachary after the delivery, helped us fund and arrange a funeral, referred us for therapy, and discussed support options for future pregnancies. As NHS workers ourselves, we know the pressures on staff, but the team went above and beyond at this impossible time.
Three months later, we were so fortunate to fall pregnant with our rainbow baby. Despite being overjoyed that we were pregnant again, a pregnancy after loss is filled with complex emotions and anxieties, as well as navigating the grief for our lost baby. We were offered extra reassurance scans throughout our pregnancy through the foetal medicine team, as well as the time and space for us to ask questions. The support and kindness were so invaluable at such an overwhelming time, and we are immensely grateful. On 29 November 2025, one year and three days after her big brother was born, our perfect baby girl, Isla, arrived.
"The Rainbow Clinic team is an amazing, specialised team who can support you every step of the way. This is what inspired us to raise money for the new Rainbow Clinic room last year; to try to give parents who have gone through baby loss that extra support needed to navigate subsequent pregnancies. "
Annabel and Sam
Annabel and Sam with baby Isla (right) and Dr Sana Usman (centre) at the Rainbow Clinic room opening
When you’re pregnant with a rainbow baby, the idea of reaching the end of your pregnancy and being able to take your baby home can feel like such an enormous milestone. This is where the emotional and practical support from the Rainbow Clinic is invaluable. We found that setting smaller goals and steps through the pregnancy really helped break it down into more manageable time frames, with each new scan or appointment providing a focus and target along the way.
It’s very normal to feel anxious and to not believe that you’ll hold a living baby in your arms at the end of the rainbow pregnancy. Feelings of guilt about being happy for a new pregnancy can also occur while you’re grieving your baby. No rainbow baby will ever be a replacement, but the baby who isn’t with you anymore will always live inside you and any future siblings. We see Zachary in Isla all the time and know he is in our hearts always. The love you will have for your rainbow baby will be even stronger for the experience you’ve been through.
The Rainbow Clinic team is an amazing, specialised team who can support you every step of the way. This is what inspired us to raise money for the new Rainbow Clinic room last year; to try to give parents who have gone through baby loss that extra support needed to navigate subsequent pregnancies.
Want to give back to our hospitals' maternity departments? Visit our Poppy's Fund page.
