BBC
A Scottish mother who searched for 42 years to discover the truth about her newborn’s death has been left heartbroken.
Mother Lydia Reid, who gained a Scottish court order to inspect a Edinburgh memorial unfortunately found there were no human remains of her deceased baby Gary.
Forensic anthropologist, Professor Dame Sue Black concluded in her report that no human remains were actually buried within the coffin.
Black said: ‘So we had wool, cotton and even a little cross, all preserved incredibly well — but there were no human remains. There was no baby in the coffin. There is no other answer because you never get that level of preservation of coffin and not have a body be preserved.’
Reid lost her son when he was just seven days old at Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Sick Children in 1975 and has been campaigning for 45 years to discover what happened to her son.
When she asked to see her son after his death, she had a strong feeling that is was not her baby.
‘This baby was blonde and big, my baby was tiny and dark-haired. This was not my son,” she told the BBC.
When she discovered her child was not buried at all, she said: ‘I wanted to be wrong. I wanted to be called a stupid old woman but the minute Sue lifted the shawl out of the ground I knew there was nothing in it.’
‘My heart hit my feet and I did not know what to say. It is devastating to know that all years I have been coming here to honour my son and he’s not been here. He is my son and he deserves the respect of a proper burial’ she added.
The grieving mother is still determined to find her son, saying to the BBC: ‘If it is possible to get my son back, I want my son back. If it is not possible then at least tell me and let me have peace.’
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
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