Funeral bill shock after three-month-old’s death Bailiff nightmare for tragic baby’s mum

A MUM whose home was ransacked while her baby was dying in hospital has been threatened with bailiffs over the costs of the funeral.

Michelle Greenwood, 32, was keeping a vigil at seriously ill daughter Laila’s bed when her uninsured rented property was trashed and burgled.

She returned home to find thief Brian Smith had stolen almost all her possessions including baby clothes and precious family photos.

The break-in left her penniless.

Laila died weeks later of heart failure leaving Michelle and her other children, Sabrina, Shauna and Jack, inconsolable.

Following the tragedy Michelle approached a local firm to organise the three-month-old’s funeral.

She thought she’d signed up for the free service which is offered to parents who have lost a baby.

But weeks later, as Michelle was trying to rebuild her life, she received a letter demanding almost £700.

It has since come to light she had unwittingly signed up for a family burial plot.

The funeral directors have now placed the matter in the hands of debt collectors who have threatened legal action if the bill isn’t settled.

Michelle says she is struggling to scrape together the payment and lives in fear of bailiffs taking the few possessions she has left.

“I signed the list the funeral director gave me, but the whole thing is a blur. I did not know what I was doing,” said Michelle, from Morecambe, Lancashire.

“Even the coffin was the standard free one, I couldn’t afford anything else.

“My brother lost his baby a couple of years ago but he never had to pay for the grave, so I thought it would be free for Laila.”

Laila was born in September 2012, but two weeks later was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, suffering from multiple heart problems.

Michelle stayed night and day at her bedside praying she would pull through. However, Laila died three months later.

In the burglary, Smith took electrical goods and clothes as well as other items from Laila’s room, which Michelle has kept as a shrine. Most of the possessions have never been recovered.

In May, Michelle was left distraught when Smith was jailed for just 15 months.

Recalling the day she was sent the first letter demanding money for the burial plot, she said: “I was shocked. But the letters kept coming.

“Losing my daughter was bad enough, I didn’t need this on top.

“I can’t afford it so they will just have to take me to court”.

A spokesperson for Dignity, which organised Laila’s funeral, said: “We understand this must be a difficult time and the death of a child is always a real tragedy.

“We purchased a new grave at Torrisholme Cemetery from the local authority as requested by the client for which we received an invoice and this cost was passed onto our client.

“We provided the client with a price list explaining all the options and costs and the client signed a written estimate agreeing to the cemetery fee.

“When a client is experiencing difficulties with paying for a funeral we try to help and we have tried to contact this client several times in writing and by telephone with no response.”

Lancaster City Council said it did offer graves free for children under one, but the plot for up to three people selected by Michelle was chargeable.