The mum of “rainbow baby” Harry Magee has shared the heartbreak she and her family are suffering following his death.
Harry, or Haribo as he was nicknamed, was two years and 10 months old when he died in an accident outside his family home in Aghalee on Tuesday, May 25.
His mother Leanne, 30, said: “We were heading home and the day just ended in our worst nightmare.
“I gave him a wee cuddle and a wee kiss. I never thought that was going to be my last warm wee kiss with my son.”
Leanne said emergency services “tried so hard to save that wee boy, they couldn’t have tried anything else. Just sadly it wasn’t meant to be. The wee man wasn’t meant to be here.”
The accident occurred after Harry’s first day back at soft play, where his mother said he “had a blast.”
She said: “Harry had no fear. He just loved life, he was a happy wee boy.
“That’s why I just can’t understand this. I question all the time what I have done so bad in my life to deserve this, you know?
“I get up every morning and I’m just like, ‘Right wee Haribo, your holiday is over now pet, it’s time to come home’.
“And the thought that he’s never going to be back in this life again kills me.”
Harry was a happy little boy who loved the outdoors and enjoyed life
(Image: Leanne Magee)
Nearly two months after Harry’s death, it is the “wee things in life” that Leanne misses about her son.
She said: “I miss changing a dirty nappy. The last time I changed my son’s nappy he was cold in a hospital bed. It’s not fair.”
“I put his jammies on him that Monday night we put him to bed. We never thought it would be our last night tucking him into bed with his story.
“I have those pyjamas still. I smell them all the time.”
The family have had to endure some incredibly challenging days since Harry’s death
(Image: Lauren Magee)
The family have had an unimaginable few months – from Harry’s funeral, to what would have been his third birthday.
His mother said: “He had a lovely wee funeral. Not something that I wanted to say. I just kept saying to him, ‘Please just wake up’.
“I still think I’m dreaming. What kills me the most is going upstairs and seeing my wee son’s room and seeing his bed empty.
“We had his third birthday party, it was a hard day. But we went to the wee grave, we had a wee cake and we sung happy birthday. We read stories and came home, and let balloons off for him.”
From left to right: Patrick, Charlie, Cameron, Leanne and Harry Magee
(Image: Leanne Magee)
Leanne and her 34-year-old husband Patrick are taking things “one day at a time”, along with their children Cameron, 8, and Charlie, 6.
The mother said: “People think we’re crazy but we just talk away to Harry, all of us, as if he’s still here.
“I love watching my children talk to wee Harry.
“Every night we light a wee candle in Harry’s room and read him a bedtime story.
“That’s something we will do until the day I die.
“My kids will grow up – Harry will always be our baby. As long as we’re alive, we’ll keep Harry alive.”
‘I can’t believe how many kind people there are out there’
Leanne, who runs an online book subscription business, and Patrick, a landscape gardener, were struggling to put food on the table– following months of grieving and little aid for them as self-employed workers.
But the family recently set up a GoFundMe, and have received hundreds of donations and anonymous food deliveries to their home.
“I can’t believe how many kind people there are out there”, Leanne said, “I was happy just getting a tenner to get bread and milk.
“It was nice coming home last night and making a proper meal. I’ll be forever grateful.”
Asked what the future holds for the family, Leanne said: “We’re still grieving. We’ll always grieve.
“My bad days are bad. The pain comes right from your heart. I didn’t even know pain like that existed.
“I am a positive person and I do believe we will get on our feet again. It’s just going to take a little bit of time.”
“Though he’ll never be forgotten, we’ll get through this time as a family.
“I believe I gave birth to a wee angel three years ago, and he’s just gone back home. That keeps me going because I know I’ll see him again.”
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