‘I was a dad for just two hours, it was precious’

A young man has told of his heartache at having been a father for just two hours as a rare condition claimed the life of his daughter.

Eoghan Bell, 21, cuddled infant Lucy and whispered “baby talk” to her for the all-too brief spell she survived in the hospital.

He was only 20 and his girlfriend just 19 when they had to face losing their only child, who was born a month early on Jan 10, 2011. Lucy was suffering from what doctors believe was the extremely rare Nager Syndrome, a condition affecting the development of the face, airway, and limbs. Fewer than 200 cases of the disease have been documented globally.

“We knew she wasn’t going to survive for long. The doctors had prepared us,” said Eoghan, from Culdaff, Co Donegal.

“She was born at 12.40pm in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast but only lived for a couple of hours. We knew from about five or six months into the pregnancy that there were problems.

“We held out a bit of hope, but we never really expected her to live.”

Sadly, he and Lucy’s mother split up shortly afterwards — their loss a contributing factor, says Eoghan. But he wouldn’t swap the snatched moments he had with his baby for anything.

“I’m so glad I got to see her and hold her and be with her.”

Eoghan paid warm tribute to the charity Still Born and Neonatal Deaths (SANDs), which supported the couple through the ordeal. They helped them put together a “memory box”, including photographs of Lucy, her tiny footprints and baby clothes. “They really helped me at a time I needed them,” he said.

Eoghan’s 46-year-old mother, Eilish Bell, is currently attempting to run a gruelling four marathons in four days to raise money for SANDs. She hopes to complete her “Extreme North” quadrathon challenge this Sunday.

Meanwhile, Eoghan, who is in a new relationship, is set to begin a degree course in media design this month. He says losing a baby so young has focused his mind on the future — a future he hopes will some day include children. “I appreciate things a bit more. These experiences make me want to be more prepared for the future,” he said.

* Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/Eilish-Bell-Quadrathon