A YOUNG West Dorset couple want to raise money for Dorset County Hospital’s maternity unit who helped them through the loss of their baby son.

Little Alfie was stillborn at 27 weeks but for nearly two months before hospital staff did everything they could, said 21-year-old mum Chloe Hutchings.

Now she and partner mechanic Thomas Deane, 29, want to raise at least £1,000 to thank staff for their unstinting care and efforts to save Alfie.

It was at Chloe’s 20-week scan that staff noticed there was a problem with the placenta.

She was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) – a condition the hospital sees in between one and four women a year.

Chloe said: “All the way through from when we had the complications at 20 weeks Dorchester maternity unit were absolutely fantastic, we could not have asked for any better “They called me every week to make sure I was all right, if they could do anything extra.

“They went the extra mile.”

When she was first diagnosed staff explained fully what could happen.

“They did tell us straightaway we might lose him. It was very difficult,” she added.

They had fortnightly scans but when she got to 27 weeks Chloe felt the baby move much less.

She was booked in to have the baby but at 27 weeks and three days she went into labour.

She said: “I was booked in for a few days later to have the baby but my body decided it was not going to hang around until Thursday so I went into labour at home.

“I went to Dorchester at five to five in the morning and had him by five past.

“There is absolutely nothing the hospital could have done differently or any better.”

Because of the care she got, Chloe said she is not too frightened to try again.

“We are thinking about trying again in a few months’ time but want to do some fundraising first and if I am going to chuck myself out of a plane I had best not be pregnant.

“They can’t say it won’t happen again but the chances are very slim.

“But we want to raise the money first.”

Chloe, who works for Agincare, has a virginmoneygiving.com page if anyone wants to donate and she will be publicising events as they are organised.