Dee McFegan

Hi I’m Dee (Diane if you wish to be formal).  I’m married to Colin who is a shepherd so we live in the middle of nowhere (near Moniaive).  We both grew up on farms so this is perfect for us as I love the freedom it gives our children.  I am a Mum to 3 children.  Callum was born in 2003, Kyle was stillborn in 2005 and Iona was born in 2006.  I am a Primary Teacher, only part time at the moment while the kids are still young.

Callum’s pregnancy and delivery had been straightforward so I had high expectations of my second pregnancy.  This time I went into labour on my due date and we made our way to the hospital.  The midwife couldn’t find a heartbeat so the doctor tried a scan.  He then gave us the devastating news, our baby had died.  I gave birth to our beautiful son Kyle less than 3 hours later.  He had a knot in his cord which had pulled tight due to the cord being wrapped around his neck 4 times.

My family and friends were very supportive but I felt the need to talk to others who understood.  Dumfries Sands were in the process of getting up and running when I was pregnant for the third time.  They supported me through this emotionally difficult pregnancy and celebrated with me when Iona was born safely.

As Iona progressed into a happy healthy toddler I began to realise that I attended Sands meetings less to get support for myself and more to support others.   I decided to undertake Sands Befriender training to enable me to be the best supporter I can be.  Our experiences may be different but I sympathise because I’ve been there!