PARENTS of a beautiful baby who died after being born have set up a charity in his name to support bereavement services.

Joanne Harris-Beck and her husband Tom Beck had baby Oakley on November 29.

There had been no complications in the lead up to his birth at Colchester Hospital, however, after inhaling meconium in the womb he became poorly shortly after he was born.

Within hours, it was clear he was not going to make it.

Joanne, 22, said they are still waiting for a post mortem examination to explain exactly what happened.

She said: “We didn’t get to see him until he was a few hours old.

“He had to be resuscitated for 16 minutes and was whisked away to the neonatal unit.

“Our little boy was hooked up to a series of machines keeping him alive. Our first thoughts were how much he looked like his big sister. He has beautiful red hair that he got from me and my dimpled chin.

“We unfortunately never got to see his eyes open. The plan was for him to be transferred to Addenbrooke’s Hospital as they had the facilities required to help him.

“The staff tried to make him stable enough for the journey, however they suspected he would have a cardiac arrest so they managed to get me into a wheelchair so we could say our goodbyes.

“Oakley was likely to have died in the ambulance, but instead he died in my arms surrounded by his family.”

A total of £2,000 was raised for his funeral through a charity raffle and quiz night.

Oakley’s funeral was held on December 28 at Burrs Road Chapel in Clacton.

Joanne said: “The service was beautifully conducted by Angela Barlow, she chose perfect poems.

“It was really emotional but brought comfort to know we had provided such a lovely send off. Oakley arrived in a horse-drawn white carriage, with the horses wearing baby blue feathers matching the floral tributes.”

Joanne and Tom, who live in Clacton, set up a charity called Oakley’s Gift. It will raise funds for Colchester bereavement services.

Joanne said: “After Oakley was born I was seriously unwell with sepsis and blood clots in the lungs, this meant spending weeks in hospital surrounded by donations from other bereaved parents.

“It was clear we would definitely want to give back and help in some way. Two charities came out to see us.

“Remember My Baby sent a volunteer photographer to capture photos of Oakley. The second was Forever Finley, a couple who also lost their son at Colchester Hospital.

“Starting the charity means his memory will live on and he didn’t die in vain, his death will help us support others who go through the same tragedy.”

The couple have another daughter, Ivy-Willow, who is two-and-a-half years old.

Search for Oakley’s Gift on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.