Former Radio York breakfast show presenter Kay Crewdson will front a documentary about miscarriage inspired by her own experience last year.
The Emptiness Within, which will be broadcast on BBC Radio York and BBC Radio Sheffield on Tuesday June 5th, explores the thoughts and experiences of those who go through miscarriage.
Crewdson and her partner Jim Harding describe their devastation at finding out their baby had died a few weeks after learning she was pregnant last year.
“I wanted to make the documentary to get people talking about the subject of miscarriage,” Crewdson says. “In 2018 it really shouldn’t be a topic that remains shrouded in mystery – almost as if it’s a taboo.
“I wanted the documentary to resonate with others, many of whom have suffered in silence; and for those who have never experienced miscarriage, both male and female, who really have no idea what it’s like.
“When it happened to me, I felt empty, both emotionally and physically. It’s a feeling that all of the contributors I spoke to expressed when sharing their stories, and I want to thank them for taking the brave step to talk so openly about their experiences.”
Harding lives and works in the United States and, due to the time difference, was asleep when Crewdson started losing the baby.
“When I woke up and turned my phone on, there were all these text messages saying please call as quick as you can,” he remembers.
“I knew…I felt sick….and dreaded making the call but did it as soon as I got them. I couldn’t be there, there was nothing I could do.
“For me, it’s a choice whether I think about it or not. I feel sad when I think about it. When you talk about it, it brings back all those emotions and memories and you feel like a little life never quite happened.”
The couple describe the emotional desolation that followed in the weeks after their miscarriage as they struggled to come to terms with what had happened. Crewdson also speaks to a number of other women who share their experiences of miscarriage.
Professor Arri Coomarasamy of the Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Care and Research, talks about how extensive research is being carried out in Manchester and Yorkshire to try and prevent miscarriage.
Crewdson recently gave birth to a healthy baby daughter, Ava Rose Harding, on May 15th 2018. She is preparing to leave the UK and move to New York with Harding.
