Her family got to make a few precious memories before baby Harlow had to leave them
A miracle baby died at just a few months old despite surgeons doing everything they could to help her – but her parents say the love from family, friends and strangers to raise money for her send-off has been incredible. Klaire Carroll, 37, and Cassidy O’Connell, 26, worked overtime for years to afford IVF.
But a 20-week scan revealed that their baby had a congenital heart defect, tethered spine and bowel condition. The parents were given three options: termination, palliative care or multiple surgeries. Despite choosing the surgeries, baby Harlow Maeve Carroll-O’Connell did not survive. A GoFundMe page has since been set up to help the parents with funeral and memorial costs – which has already reached £3,000 of its £3,500 goal.
Klaire and Cassidy are now waiting for answers from the hospital on what happened to their baby girl. “We honestly cant believe how much support we have received from everyone,” said Cassidy, from Stroud in Gloucestershire.
“It’s helped us immensely with being able to fund the send off our girl deserves. What we are going through is unimaginable, no one deserves to lose a child – but the love we are receiving is helping us to get through each day. Harlow was treated for sepsis, meningitis, everything – but her infection markers were still high.
“They [the doctors] ran every test they could and couldn’t find the cause. They decided to discharge her and we argued with the consultant – we knew something was wrong and she needed to stay in hospital.
“We are sharing our story to help other parents and encourage them to always advocate for their kids if they gut says something is amiss.”
Harlow’s post-mortem results have come back as unascertained. The couple have reportedly been told they may have to wait up to 18 months to get a detailed report.
Cassidy gave birth to Harlow via C-section with Klaire by her side at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol. After spending weeks in hospital, the baby came home briefly, only to be rushed back in several times due to breathing difficulties, poor feeding and weight gain issues.
She underwent open-heart surgery – a BT shunt procedure that lasted around seven hours with the aim to improve blood flow to her lungs. Klaire said: “Harlow almost didn’t make it through surgery. She fought and we just sat by her side, talking to her constantly and praying she would make it through. Things seemed to be heading in the right direction.
“They slowly lowered her sedation and she started moving her hands and feet, while trying to open her eyes. It was incredible – it was the best thing ever because we honestly thought we were going to lose her. So to see her wiggling her little toes – we were in floods of tears.”
Harlow was born on January 30, 2025. After surviving her surgery on March 31, she was once again sent home with her family on April 28. Klaire and Cassidy, who build electronics for work, tried to create some normal memories. Cassidy said: “At this point, she had spent more than three-quarters of her life in hospital. We wanted to try and be a normal family. We took her to the aquarium with our families and she absolutely loved it.
“Watching her look around and take everything in was just so lovely. It’s one of our favourite, treasured memories.”
By early May, Harlow’s oxygen levels had dropped significantly. She was blue-lighted to hospital where doctors found a shadow near her heart – it was endocarditis, a life-threatening bacterial infection of the heart’s inner lining.
Antibiotic treatment became difficult after cannulas failed and the tiny tot developed blood clots in her arm. On May 22, the little girl was taken into surgery again to fit a new PICC line, a tube used to deliver medications and other treatments to veins near the heart.
According to her parents, Harlow was screaming and her skin colour was abnormal. Klaire said: “She went into cardiac arrest and died in my arms. They did CPR to try and bring her back but there was nothing they could do.
“She had been through such a tough journey but every single step of the way that girl just fought through everything with a smile on her face whenever she could. Harlow was a cheeky and happy girl. We’re really proud of the strength and resilience she showed during her short life.
“She was a real fighter and left a lasting impression on everyone she met.”
Dr Rebecca Maxwell, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our heartfelt condolences go out to Harlow’s family during this difficult time. We remain in close contact with the family to address their concerns and provide ongoing support.”
Any leftover funds will be donated to The Grand Appeal and Heart Heroes, charities that supported the parents through their journey.