The mother of Britain’s largest family has shared a touching photo of her children visiting their stillborn son’s grave.
Sue, 44, and husband Noel Radford, 48, from Lancashire, who welcomed their first child thirty years ago, and gave birth to their 22nd child – daughter Heidie – in March, shared a picture to their Instagram account as their daughter Bonnie, 1, visited Alfie’s grave on the sixth anniversary of his death.
Alfie, the couple’s 17th child, was still born on July 6th 2014, after the baby’s heartbeat could no longer be found during their three-month scan.
Scroll down for video
Sue, 44, and husband Noel Radford, 48, from Lancashire, who welcomed their first child thirty years ago, visited Alfie’s grave on the sixth anniversary of his death
Posting a picture of Bonnie visiting the grave, Sue wrote: ‘This day never gets any easier’
Posting a picture of Bonnie visiting the grave, Sue wrote: ‘This day never gets any easier.
‘What I’d give for one more cuddle with our beautiful boy. Happy 6th heavenly birthday Alfie.’
In an emotional tribute, she concluded: ‘We love you to the moon and stars little man. Also thank you so much to Danielle for sending a new train for Alfie #stillborn #lovedandmissed’.
In an emotional tribute, she concluded: ‘We love you to the moon and stars little man. Also thank you so much to Danielle for sending a new train for Alfie #stillborn #lovedandmissed’.
Sue was induced just before midday on Friday 3 March, placed on a drip at 4pm and gave birth to a baby girl weighing 7lbs, at 10pm at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
The couple named the little girl Heidie. It is a legal requirement for parents to register a birth and should be done 42 days after a baby is born.
This is usually done at a registry office in the district where the child is born and made in person either by one or both parents.
But authorities postponed all registrations for the foreseeable future as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Sue was induced just before midday on Friday 3 March, where she was placed on a drip at 4pm and gave birth to a baby girl weighing 7lbs at 10pm at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary
Pictured two years ago (with ages stated at the time): The Radford children. Left to right, top row: Luke, 16, Chloe, 21, Mille, 16, holding Hallie, two, Katie, 14, and Sophie, 23. Left to right, middle row: Daniel, 18, Ellie, 12, father Noel Radford holding Phoebe, one, Mother Sue holding newborn Archie, Josh, 10, and Jack, 20. Left to right, bottom row: Aimee, 11, Tilly, seven, Max, eight, Casper, four, Oscar, five, and James, 13.
Sue has now spent more than 800 weeks of her life pregnant after having her first child at aged 14.
Noel had a vasectomy after baby number nine but had it reversed shortly afterwards.
The most recent child is Bonnie Raye, who was born in November 2018, with the others being Chris, 30, Sophie, 25, Chloe, 23, Jack, 22, Daniel, 20, Luke, 18, Millie, 17, Katie, 16, James, 15, Ellie, 14, Aimee, 13, Josh, 12, Max, 11, Tillie, nine, Oscar, seven, Casper, six, Hallie, four, Phoebe, three, and Archie 22 months.
The couple met for the first time when Sue was seven, before going on to have their first child when Sue was 14 and Noel was 19.
They got married in 1993 when Sue turned 18, and went on to have nine children before Noel had a vasectomy – which he later had reversed.