Community rallies behind Mount Gambier parents Amy Merrett and Brandan Triffitt after death of baby Noah, twin to George

A young SA couple’s baby joy quickly turned to fear, then heartbreak after a premature birth - and one of their twins’ lungs collapsed.

Noah Ashton Triffitt and George Marcus Triffitt at just 29 weeks old. Picture: Supplied

A young Mount Gambier family enduring an indescribable tragedy have opened up about the moment they lost one of their twin premature babies.

Amy Merrett and Brandan Triffitt, both 24, are bravely telling their story in the hopes sharing it will make others who have lost a child not feel so alone.

Noah Ashton Triffitt and George Marcus Triffitt were born at just 29 weeks.

@the.tiser A young Mount Gambier family enduring an indescribable tragedy have opened up about the moment they lost one of their twin premature babies. After enduring an emergency C-section, Amy and Brandan were faced with a choice - to allow their son, Noah, to die on a ventilator or die in their arms. Fortunately both parents were able to spend time holding Noah before he passed away in his father's arms. Though devastated, the couple said they were grateful Noah had fought so hard to ensure they were able to have a small amount of time with him. Out of sheer necessity neither parent have been able to properly grieve. With Brandan stating he feels helpless, while Amy candidly admitting she has struggled with guilt of her two miscarriages and Noah’s death 💔 #infantlossawareness#miscarriageawareness#childbirth#infantloss♬ original sound - The Advertiser

Amy Merrett and Brandan Triffitt are grieving the loss of their twin baby boy Noah, who passed away in his father’s arms. Picture: Supplied by family

Amy Merrett and Brandan Triffitt are grieving the loss of their twin baby boy Noah, who passed away in his father’s arms. Picture: Supplied by family

On June 13, Ms Merrett went into premature labour with doctors at the Flinders Medical Centre forced to perform an emergency C-section in the early hours of Wednesday, June 14.

Mr Triffitt said he thought everything was “normal” when he woke up that day.

However, he was forced to drop everything, pick up his two-year-old son Charlie and make the longest five hour drive of his life.

Noah’s dad was still an hour and a half outside of Adelaide when Noah took a turn for the worst — his lungs had collapsed and he had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped.

Noah’s condition continued to worsen and doctors informed Ms Merrett they had two choices, for Noah to die on the ventilator or in their arms.

“Brandan I made the decision if he wasn’t going to make it in time — I would hold him because we didn’t want him to die on the ventilator and I hadn’t even been able to hold him yet,” she said.

Fortunately the couple were both able to hold their child as his breath came in shallowly — before Noah died in his father’s arms.

Amy Merrett with her 17-day-old son George at Flinders Medical Centre. Picture: Mark Brake

Though devastated, the couple said they were grateful Noah had fought so hard to ensure they were able to have a small amount of time with him.

Amy Merrett and Brandan Triffitt are grieving the loss of their twin baby boy Noah, who passed away in his father’s arms. Picture: Supplied by family

However, with bills to pay, two days after the tragic death of Noah, Mr Triffitt was forced to leave his partner and other newborn George and head back to Mount Gambier.

“It was probably the worst thing ever — to leave her (Amy) there — it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do,” he said.

Mr Triffitt said Noah and George had been two little pre-Christmas miracles, with the pair struggling to fall pregnant since the birth of their first son Charlie.

The pair got the official news a few days after their first appointment with a fertility clinic.

The Mount Gambier couple were still on tenterhooks, with Ms Merrett previously miscarrying twice since Charlie’s birth.

Since the death of Noah, George has continued to show positive signs and has steadily gained weight as well as transitioned off a C-pap machine. Picture Mark Brake

The first sign of trouble began in early March with Ms Merrett suffering a major bleed on April 15, the day before Charlie turned two.

On April 19 doctors confirmed the amniotic sac for Noah had ruptured and at 22 weeks, and the couple travelled from the Mount Gambier Hospital to the Flinders Medical Centre.

Ms Merrett developed a serious infection while travelling would spend the next seven weeks being monitored by Flinders Medical Centre hospital staff before tragedy struck.

While his partner was fighting for the lives of her unborn sons, Mr Triffitt continued to work two jobs and care for Charlie, who was only recently diagnosed with autism.

“Mentally it did break us,” Ms Merrett said.

“It was very hard for him to drive home he called me quite a few times on the road.

“But for this to work he had to be 100 per cent for Charlie and I had to be 100 per cent for the boys.”

Out of sheer necessity neither parent have been able to properly grieve. With Mr Triffitt stating he feels helpless, while Ms Merrett candidly admitting she has struggled with guilt of her two miscarriages and Noah’s death.

“As much as people say it was not my fault. I still to this day blame myself,” she said.

“Some days I find it hard to get out of bed.”

Since the death of Noah, George has continued to show positive signs and has steadily gained weight as well as transitioned off a C-pap machine.

A GoFundMe has been setup to help the couple with their ongoing medical expenses as well as to help pay for Noah’s funeral.