Finding a Way Through Loss – Mark’s Story

A Desperate Call

When Mark picked up the phone to call Life’s Helpline, he wasn’t sure what he was going to say. He only knew that he needed to speak to someone – anyone – who could help him make sense of what had just happened.

A Young Couple’s Dream

Mark had married his childhood sweetheart, Suzanne, straight out of university. Things were going well, they were buying a house and enjoying their first steps into their careers when Sarah told him she was pregnant, everything seemed to be falling into place.

Emotions were high as a mix of shock, excitement, and joy filled them. For eleven weeks, they lived in that bubble of anticipation. Mark and Suzanne talked excitedly about baby names and which room would be the nursery until one evening, Suzanne began to feel sharp pains in her side. With the pain worsening, they decided she should get checked out. The advice was to go home, rest, watch and wait and to come back if there was any excess bleeding or clots larger than a 50p piece.  The pain became unbearable and Suzanne started to notice a heavy discharge, so Mark drove them to the nearest A&E.

Heartbreak and Loss

What happened next shattered their world. The doctors explained that the pregnancy was ectopic – the baby had implanted in one of Suzanne’s fallopian tubes. It was not viable, and worse, it was dangerous. Suzanne needed an urgent surgery called a salpingectomy to remove the fallopian tube before it ruptured risking her life.

“The words just stopped meaning anything after that,” Mark said quietly. “All I could think was – our baby’s gone. And Suzanne is in danger.”

The surgery was successful, but the loss was devastating. They went home empty and full of raw grief. Their world had stopped turning.

Finding a Listener

Out of desperation, Mark called Life’s Helpline. He expected a brief conversation – a few words of advice before being referred elsewhere. Instead, he found something he hadn’t realised he needed: someone who would simply listen.

Mark struggled to talk at all during the first call – he just cried and cried. The listener gently told him that he had all time he needed, she would be there when he was ready to talk.

That call became the first of many. Over the following 12 weeks, Mark spoke regularly with Alison, one of Life’s skilled listeners. Those sessions became a lifeline – a space where he could cry, vent, and talk through what was happening for him. This helped him to be there for Suzanne too.

A Call of Thanks

Two years later, Mark picked up the phone again, but this time, for a very different reason.

He asked for Alison, he wanted to thank her for all her support during the hardest time of his life and he had some news to pass on – two weeks ago Suzanne had given birth to their beautiful baby girl.

A Way Forward

For Mark and Suzanne, the pain of their loss will always be part of their story. But through Life’s support, they found a way to move forward in a time of deep distress and grief.

Life’s Helpline

Life’s Helpline is there for anyone experiencing pregnancy loss, unexpected pregnancy, or any pregnancy-related distress. The service provides free, confidential, and ongoing support – for as long as it’s needed. Sometimes that means one conversation. Sometimes it means weeks or months of walking alongside someone as they navigate whatever difficulty they are facing.

And every so often, the Helpline team receives a message like Mark’s. They serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments, hope can return. New beginnings are possible. And the compassionate, steady presence of a Life listener can make all the difference.