Katy Miller welcomed her son Oscar at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) in November 2020 after learning during pregnancy that he had a severe congenital heart condition. Oscar sadly died around an hour after he was born.
At her 20-week scan, Katy and her partner were told Oscar had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a serious congenital heart defect where the left side of the heart is underdeveloped.
Katy said: “We were referred to the Fetal Cardiology Service at Leeds Teaching Hospitals and did so much research into what could be done to save our baby’s life.
“When I reached 32 weeks, we made the incredibly difficult decision to opt for comfort care.
“The care from the midwives and nurses was amazing throughout my journey – they really advocated for me and my needs. Midwives who had been there right from the beginning of Oscar’s journey came to meet him and hold him.”
Following Oscar’s death, Katy decided to leave her career as a legal secretary and pursue nursing.
She said: “I wanted to give back the care I received. Having the lived experience of losing Oscar has made me more empathetic, as I am able to understand some of what other mums are going through.”
In September 2021, Katy began an access course before starting her nursing degree at the University of Sheffield the following year. She graduated in 2025 and now works on the Surgical Assessment Ward at DRI.
Karen Jessop, Chief Nurse at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals (DBTH), said: “Katy’s story is incredibly moving, and it is inspiring to see how she has taken such a deeply personal experience and used it to shape the nurse she is today.
“We are extremely proud that Katy chose to begin a career in nursing and is now part of the team at DBTH, using her own experiences to support others. I wish her every success as she continues her development and pursues her passion for improving women’s health.”
Katy is now preparing to begin a master’s degree in public health, focusing on vitamin D deficiency and its impact on women throughout their lives.
She said: “I’ve noticed a gap between primary and secondary care when it comes to women’s health, and I would like to help close that gap.”
Katy hopes her research will help prevent illness in women and inspire other nurses to become involved in women’s health research. In the future, she would like to work as an early pregnancy loss nurse, supporting other bereaved families.
She added: “I wanted to turn something so devastating into something positive and help other people. Oscar is the reason I became a nurse, and he will always be part of that journey.”
For more information about maternity services and support available at DBTH, visit https://www.dbth.nhs.uk/services/maternity/