Susan Cacciacarro was nearly 37 weeks pregnant with her daughter Chiara in 2021 when she woke up unable to feel her baby kicking. Chiara had been diagnosed with a heart defect during a 20-week scan, and the pregnancy was considered high risk. Throughout the pregnancy, Cacciacarro received regular monitoring at Worthing Hospital in Sussex. However, a scan at 34 weeks showed that Chiara had lost weight over the previous two weeks. Despite this, hospital staff did not accelerate the planned delivery, which was set for 39 weeks. When Cacciacarro woke up and realized Chiara was not moving, she rushed to the hospital, where staff were unable to detect the baby’s heartbeat. Chiara was delivered stillborn. Cacciacarro is one of several grieving parents who will share their experiences as part of a major independent review of maternity and neonatal services in Sussex. The review is being led by Donna Ockenden, a senior midwife and expert in maternity safety. The review was launched after months of advocacy by bereaved families in the region. Earlier this year, a joint investigation by the New Statesman and BBC suggested that at least 55 babies might have survived if they had received better care at University Hospitals Sussex. Donna Ockenden has previously led reviews into maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford, as well as at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. She is also overseeing a review of maternity and neonatal care at two hospitals in Leeds. At a recent meeting, Ockenden discussed the review’s scope with families who will be most affected. Cacciacarro expressed feeling "robbed" by the loss of her daughter and hopes the review will provide answers to all harmed and bereaved families. She emphasized that the families’ primary concern is not just accountability but also improving the safety of maternity care to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Ockenden said it is an honor to lead the review, which will examine over 1,000 maternity and neonatal cases dating back to 2018. She emphasized the importance of listening to families and engaging with communities and hospital staff across Sussex. She aims to ensure that the voices of all affected families, including those who are less often heard, are included in the review. The Truth for Our Babies group (TFOB), a coalition of bereaved parents, is urging other affected families to participate in the review. Dr. Andy Heeps, chief executive of University Hospitals Sussex, expressed deep sympathy for the families affected and reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to supporting the review. He emphasized the institution’s dedication to learning from past mistakes and providing the safest possible care for mothers and babies. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care also expressed sympathy for Cacciacarro and other affected families, and noted ongoing efforts to improve maternity services nationwide through increased investment and reforms inspired by previous reviews.