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Bereaved Sittingbourne gran to donate birthday cake in memory of granddaughter

14:04, 01 July 2020

updated: 14:06, 01 July 2020

In a moving gesture, a bereaved gran wants to donate a cake to a child celebrating their birthday on the same day as her tragic granddaughter.

Isabella-Rose Bishop was stillborn on July 16, 2018, after developing a heart condition which worsened as the pregnancy went on.

Vicky Smart with a cold cot she helped Abigail's Footsteps to buy last year
Vicky Smart with a cold cot she helped Abigail's Footsteps to buy last year

Since then, Vicky Smart has vowed to keep her memory alive by marking the day. She took to Facebook to appeal for parents of youngsters who would be celebrating their second birthdays on Thursday, July 16.

Miss Smart, of Laburnum Place, Sittingbourne, has now found two children that she will be sending cakes to on the day.

The 50-year-old, who is currently shielding due to coronavirus, said: “Basically, it’s Isabella’s second birthday on July 16 and we can’t buy her a cake so we want to do something to remember her.

“We couldn’t find anyone who had a one-year-old turning two on July 16 so we’re going to supply a birthday cake for a child who’s celebrating their first birthday on July 17 as well as a box of cupcakes for a one-year-old celebrating their second birthday on the same day.”

Miss Smart chose the day after Isabella’s birthday as that’s when her other granddaughter, one-year-old Ava-Louise, was born.

Miss Smart came up with the idea after her granddaughter was stillborn
Miss Smart came up with the idea after her granddaughter was stillborn

“We can’t buy anything for Isabella, we can take things up and put them on her forever bed but we can’t have a cake made for her,” she added.

“So every year I’ve decided to do something in her memory.

“There was one mother who had a child turning two on Isabella’s birthday but she asked me to make a donation instead, so I’m going to pay £25 to Abigail’s Footsteps.”

Last year the self-employed part-time cleaner took on a skydive and raised almost £4,000 for Abigail’s Footsteps.

The charity helps to support grieving families after the loss of a baby and those going through the aftermath of a stillbirth.

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