Mother-to-be Leah Roberts found out the exciting news that she was pregnant with a baby girl just days before her tragic death — when she went for a quick nap and never woke up again.
The 21-year-old, who was five months pregnant at the time, was so overjoyed that she had already chosen the name Leena-Rose for her unborn daughter.
Leah, of Cwmbran, just north of Newport, went for a lie down at her grandparent’s house on August 1, while feeling unwell. But could not be roused hours later and sadly died along with her baby.
Now, tributes have poured in for the expectant mother who just ‘wanted to love and be loved in return’.
Leah Roberts, 21, was so excited to become a first time mother she had already chosen the name Leena-Rose for her unborn daughter
Leah, of Cwmbran, just north of Newport, went for a lie down at her grandparent’s house on August 1, while feeling unwell. But could not be roused hours later and sadly died along with her baby
Leah’s heartbroken family have not yet been given a cause of her mystery death but friends have paid tribute to her online and set up a fundraising page to help pay for her funeral.
Family friend Becky Davies said: ‘She had gone out in the day and went back to her grandparents’ house as she wasn’t herself. She went for a lie down for a few hours.
‘Someone had come to call for Leah to see if she was going out somewhere and her grandfather went to her bedroom to try and wake her up and couldn’t.
‘He went and told her grandmother he couldn’t wake her so she went into the room and realised something was wrong, so took her off the bed and started performing CPR. That’s all it was, she just went for a nap and never woke up.’
Tributes have poured in for the expectant mother who just ‘wanted to love and be loved in return’
Becky said family members and the emergency services worked on Leah, from Cwmbran, Gwent, for more than an hour but neither she nor the baby could be saved.
‘She was the most selfless person you could ever meet in your life. By no means did she have an easy life but all she wanted was to love and be loved in return,’ she said.
‘Family was a massive thing for her, she would always say she was going to be a mum.
‘She used to take my children out, her brothers out. She would walk into a room and no matter if she had had a bad day or not she would always ask if you were ok.
‘She was just loving, chatty and just funny, she was a massive goofball with a massive heart.’
Becky organised the fundraising page, saying: ‘I’m just trying to raise enough money so they can have a proper send off. It’s hard enough losing your daughter but losing your grandchild at the same time it’s got to be one of the most gut wrenching things I can even imagine.’
One tribute read: ‘Love you so much and will miss you forever The world is so so cruel, you deserved so much more than it had to offer you and your beautiful baby girl… rest peacefully in paradise my girl.’
An inquest is expected to open into Leah’s death at Gwent Coroner’s Court later this month.