Former EastEnders star Sid Owen has opened up about the traumatic moment he was left begging doctors to save his partner and their premature baby’s lives.
The actor’s girlfriend Victoria Shores needed a transfusion after losing two pints of blood when their baby daughter had to be delivered four weeks early by emergency C-section.
Sid, 50, told The Sun on Sunday that he begged doctors to make sure she survived after traumatic experience as he said he’s still “processing the trauma”, and said it was the “toughest moment” he’s ever experienced.
The star – who played Ricky Butcher in EastEnders for 24 years – said that when he was given scrubs to wear in the hospital it brought back memories of scenes he filmed alongside Patsy Palmer in 1997 where Ricky and girlfriend Bianca Jackson had a stillborn child.
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
He confessed the memory of the storyline was on his mind but said he “had to pull himself together”.
On Friday, January 21, Sid and Victoria woke up to find their bedding soaked in blood and began to panic after they tragically suffered a miscarriage last year.
Sid said: “We were both trying to stay calm for each other, but as it was a month before our due date and we knew something wasn’t right. I phoned the NHS helpline and they sent an ambulance immediately.”
Victoria explained that she was rushed to the hospital and was considered high risk due to her previous miscarriage.
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
The waitress – who has two children from a previous relationship – was then rushed to hospital in Epsom, Surrey, where nine members of staff began working on her immediately, discovering she had placenta previa.
The condition makes it impossible to have a natural birth due to a low-lying placenta that covers the cervix.
Sid explained that the condition is very dangerous and if the placenta had erupted, their child would have died.
Victoria explained that she was really upset, but she was so grateful to have gone to the hospital.
She said: “If I’d have stayed at home I’d have haemorrhaged and probably died because there wouldn’t have been time for a transfusion and the baby wouldn’t have survived.”
(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Doctors told the pair that getting their daughter out was urgent and after monitoring her for 24 hours they performed an emergency C-section.
Opening up on the harrowing experience, Sid said: “I was relieved we were finally getting the baby out but worried about Victoria. We were told she could haemorrhage, lose her womb or worse.
“It was all suddenly very stressful and touch and go and she had to sign a consent form. When the doctors said there could be a chance of her losing her womb we were worried. We already knew we want to have more children.”
The baby was eventually removed weighing a tiny 5lb5oz – but soon after, Victoria started to haemorrhage and needed two litres of blood.
She said: “As soon as the baby was out it seemed I was in trouble. I could have died. I told Sid, ‘Whatever happens just stay with the baby, make sure you don’t let her out of your sight’.”
Sid continued: “We couldn’t thank the NHS staff enough. They were amazing and kept everyone safe.”
The couple – who first met 20 years ago and reconnected via Facebook in 2020 – are now settling into being a family with baby daughter Sky.
Victoria said: “I have to tell Sid to put Skye in the crib as he won’t put her down! He’s obsessed.”
He added: “I can’t describe being a dad. It’s the best feeling in the world. We’d love another child, but we’re overwhelmed right now.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
