Woman grieves as her five-day-old baby dies

The excitement of being first-time mother was short-lived for 21-year-old Tina Gayle, whose baby boy died five days after she gave birth on June 23. She has been finding it hard to cope since.

"Right now, it come in like me a mad because a me first child and I wasn't expecting this because me have a healthy baby," she said. "From me baby dead is like everything in my life just a go wrong, it nuh easy. Me have sleepless nights, me depress, me just a tell you say it nuh easy. I had big plans for me and my baby."

Gayle informed THE STAR that doctors said the baby, who she named Liam, was having breathing problems, which he was being treated for.

"The doctors say the baby had a breathing issue, he was breathing too hard. So me get discharge out a the hospital but them keep the baby," she said. "Me visit the hospital day by day to see me baby. Sunday me go the hospital and stay until 5 p.m. He was active, moving him limbs, open eyes and everything." But a short time that evening she got the shock of her life.

"By 6:23 p.m. the same day, them call, at the time all sort a things a go through me mind and I was saying God please don't let it be that my baby died," she said. "Them say me need to come back to the hospital because me baby dead. But when me go there and see me baby, me couldn't believe. Me just break down." Gayle said that since the baby died, she feels like a piece of her is missing.

Been through a lot

"The first day me find out that I was pregnant me did shock but very excited because me a say 'yes, me finally have somebody to live for because I have been through a lot'. But me baby dead after nine long months," she said. "Me even register him to show you I was hoping my baby could be here with me."

The Whithorn, Westmoreland, resident said her family was anticipating Liam's arrival to the family.

"My mommy was there with me right through, all me babyfather break down too because he was looking forward to meeting his son," Gayle told THE STAR. "But I have to say him nuh leave me side. He knows everything that was going on right through him stick it out with me."

Gayle expressed that she is now reluctant about attempting the role of motherhood.

"Me just scared right now because me wouldn't want to go back though the same thing because it rough, oh God man," she said. "Me just have to bag up everything for the baby and put it under the bed because me just can't manage to look at anything at all."