Young dad to be buried with unborn baby

A 28-year-old man who was diagnosed with meningitis passed away shortly after hearing the heartbeat of his unborn baby.

Tom Cribley, the young father-to-be, received his diagnosis after visiting the hospital within weeks of the new year, hearing his unborn baby's heartbeat at his wife's ultrasound days later, reports say.

But soon following his death, Meghan Power, 23, Cribly's grief-stricken wife, later found that their unborn baby girl, who they planned to name Ellie, was also unlikely to survive.

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Now, Power and the couple's family and friends are preparing a double funeral for Cribley and baby Ellie that will take place on the same day.

Arrangements have also been made for the two to be buried together.

His elder brother, Michael Cribley, spoke on behalf of his family in an interview with Mirror.

"It will be quieter without him there," his brother said. "When he saw the 12-week scan picture he was dead excited and he was looking forward to starting a family with Meghan and the baby."

Cribley's friend, Shaun Cavanagh, 25, also spoke to the news outlet about Cribley's excitement on becoming a father.

"We were just out the other week and it's all he could talk about," Cavanagh said. "He couldn't wait to see his baby."

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Friends of the couple have created a crowdfunding page hosted by Just Giving to raise money for funeral costs and the aftermath to what they called "anyone's worst nightmare."

The page reads, "To lose not one but two of the most important people in her life is just devastating."

"We just aim to gather some money if it's in anyway possible to help Meghan with any funeral costs but to have some much needed time away after everything with her mum and her sister to try to give her some sort of normality after what can only be known as anyone's worst nightmare."