A mother of three who suffered a miscarriage at home claims she was instructed to place her baby in a refrigerator for nine days after three ambulances did not respond. Sheree Chanelle Wakeford-Knight, 30, and her partner Hassan Niyazi, 38, were expecting their first child together in February 2026.
In early April, Sheree began experiencing bleeding during her pregnancy. She says she contacted the early pregnancy unit but was told it was closed due to the bank holiday and was advised to wait until her scheduled appointment on April 8 at the Royal London Hospital.
The bleeding continued, and on April 8, she attended the hospital for a scan. She claims a nurse told her there was no sign of any issues and that the baby appeared healthy. On April 13, while at home with her family, Sheree says she began experiencing severe pain and heavy bleeding. Her partner claims he called an ambulance three times and dialled 111 multiple times, but says no help arrived.
At 3.30am, Sheree miscarried at around two months pregnant and pushed out the baby. She also claims she was told to place the foetus in a fridge until she was able to take it to hospital.
Sheree, a shop worker from Bethnal Green, London, said: "When we went to take my baby to the hospital, I opened the fridge and I could smell a rotting smell. Since then, I have smelled that smell every time I open the fridge. No matter how hard I have scrubbed, every time I open I smell my decomposed baby. I've not been the same since that day, I am traumatised."
After finding out she was expecting her fourth child, Sheree said she experienced severe bleeding. But, after a scan at Royal London Hospital, a nurse told her that her baby was healthy and breathing. "They couldn't see any evidence of why I was bleeding," Sheree said. "She said my baby was fine, he was breathing, and he looked healthy."
Two days later, Sheree said she called the hospital back to tell them her bleeding was worse. She claims that she was told there was nothing to worry about and to wait until her 12-week scan on April 29.
But on April 13, things took a turn for the worse, and Sheree started to feel unwell. Sheree said: "I was lying with my youngest son, and I was feeling a really strong pain. It became so severe, the bleeding was worse and worse, but they told me there was nothing to worry about, so I thought my baby was fine. We called the ambulance at around 11am as I was shaking uncontrollably. We had also called 111, and they said someone would call us back, but nobody did."
Hassan claims he called an ambulance a further two times and begged for them to send someone to help, but says he was told paramedics were too busy. At around 12am, Sheree said she started feeling "pushing motions" so Hassan called 999 again and claims the operator told him to walk to the hospital - but at this point, Sheree could barely move.
"I was going in and out of consciousness, and I could barely walk," Sheree said. "I was bleeding so bad at this point, I soaked through two massive towels, tea towels and kitchen roll. My blood was everywhere."
Around 3.30am, Sheree said she stood up and felt a "big gush" and looked down, seeing her baby on the floor on a towel. The couple were apparently told the hospital had no place to store the foetus until April 22. After making another call, they claim they were told to place it in the fridge before they could bring their baby in nine days later.
Hassan, a painter and decorator, said: "I have never experienced anything like this in my life. Seeing our baby's heartbeat for the final time really traumatised me. We called the hospital so many times, we called the ambulance, but nobody was willing to help. We're traumatised, the NHS didn't bother to help us when we needed them."
On April 22, Sheree and Hassan headed to Royal London Hospital and brought their baby, whom they had placed in a box in the fridge. At the hospital, Sheree underwent a scan and pregnancy test, which confirmed she had miscarried.
Sheree said: "I was in floods of tears when I handed the box over to the nurse. How many mums and dads have had to go through the same thing? I don't want another parent to smell the smell I have. You could see our baby's little arms and legs. Regardless of how old the pregnancy is, I should not have had to go through that."
A spokesperson at Barts Health NHS Trust said: "We are deeply sorry for Ms Wakeford-Knight's loss and are committed to ensuring that she receives the care that she needs with empathy, compassion and dignity. We encourage patients who are concerned or unhappy with their care to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) or they can raise a formal complaint to be investigated."
