Heartbroken parents honour memory of toddler son three years after tragic loss

Noah McAleese died in an accident at a farm, one week after his second birthday

Three years ago this month, one Co Antrim couple’s world fell apart when they lost their longed-for toddler son in tragic circumstances.

Noah McAleese died in an accident at a farm near Ballymoney on November 11 2022, one week after his second birthday and just months after he had been blessed with a little brother, Cohen.

To his heartbroken parents, Johnny and Corrina from Dunloy, Noah was a bright, joyful little boy who brought endless light and laughter to everyone around him.

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Little Noah adored diggers, tractors and Toy Story and his smile could brighten even the darkest day.

In the wake of their loss Noah’s family wanted to honour his life by advocating for change and use their own experience to bring about improvements for other families attending hospital under similar circumstances to them.

Together with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, they have helped deliver the Infinity Room at Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital — a calm, private space for grieving families.

The family has worked closely with the Northern Trust and the Patient & Client Council to make this happen. The new bereavement support room was officially opened in memory of Noah on Wednesday by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.

Located within the Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department, the new space has been specially designed to be a quiet sanctuary where families can spend time together with their loved one in their final moments, or after they have passed.

Speaking to Belfast Live this week on the third anniversary of Noah’s death, Corrina said: “Noah’s never out of our minds. We have another wee man, Cohen., and they were both very close in age. He was only five months old when it happened but he’s definitely been the lifeline for us through all of this and kept us going.

“It’s three years and when you miss someone it feels a lot longer but at other times when you’re looking at wee videos of him, it can feel like it was yesterday. Noah was a very smiley, beautiful boy with curly blonde hair, a love of diggers, and a crazy fan of Toy Story. He was the first-born for Johnny, an IVF baby so he was a wee miracle and long awaited.

“We went to the Causeway that night and on the back of our experience in the hospital, we thought about creating a private space for parents presenting under those circumstances. It’s somewhere to have quiet time with a loved one and that’s so important in those immediate hours after having lost someone from our experience anyway.

“It’s been a labour of love but something that’s very important to us as Noah’s mummy and daddy. We believe it’s a positive legacy after losing Noah and something to help other families coming after us. There’s definitely wee nods to Noah throughout, which is important to us.

“The objective is to do this across Northern Ireland with whichever hospitals want to work with us. Alongside the dedicated spaces we want to help support trauma led training for medical staff.”

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt added: “I would like to extend my sympathies to Noah’s parents, Corrina and Johnny. For any parent to lose a child is unimaginably heartbreaking. I am deeply moved that they would use their own tragic experience to bring about improvements for other families in grief. I want to express my sincere gratitude to them.