Scottish Cot Death Trust hailed for supporting families following tragedy
dailyrecord.co.ukSomething felt very wrong in the room that evening when Jennifer Stratton went to check on her baby, half an hour after putting him down.It’s only now, 10 years after losing him, that happy memories of days with Dexter take precedence over the heartache and trauma of how cot death claimed his life.Dexter – a fifth son for Jennifer and husband Iain – was born two weeks early in June 2012, weighing a healthy 8lb 2oz.His big brothers, Kyle, Cameron, Innes and Harris – then aged nine, seven, five and three – doted on the little one who lit up their lives.“He was such a happy baby,” said Jennifer. “I know everybody says that – but he was.
He was constantly giggling and always sticking his tongue out. The boys used to put music on after dinner every night and we would all dance.
He used to love that. There would be a big competition on to see who could get him to giggle the most. He was just such a happy, easy-going baby.”Then, on a September evening in 2012, after Jennifer had waved Iain off on his first business trip to Birmingham, the family’s world was to change forever.“Dexter had been a bit bunged up that day, like the start of a cold, but otherwise he was fine in himself,” she said.“I put him down at 6.30pm.
When I went up to check on him at 7pm, the room was very dark. The room felt wrong. I lifted him. He was already gone.”A frantic Jennifer dialled 999 and attempted CPR on her lifeless 13-week-old baby boy until paramedics arrived and took over.Her parents collected her other four sons to allow Jennifer to accompany Dexter to hospital.
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