Teen mum, 19, lay dead in flat for two days with dehydrated five-month-old baby

A DISTRAUGHT mum has revealed how her teenage daughter lay dead in her flat for two days with her five-month-old baby beside her.

Courtney Newlands, 19, was found lying on her couch with "dehydrated" son Declan Junior in his cot beside her.

Cops were forced to break down the door to Courtney’s Glasgow flat after reports from her worried family when they failed to hear from her.

Courtney recently moved into the Penilee flat with her boyfriend Declan, although the couple had fallen out in the week before her death and he had moved out.

Fears grew because she hadn't posted her daily baby photos on Facebook.

It’s understood tragic Courtney passed away after complications related to Type 1 diabetes, which she has battled since she was a child.

Baby Declan was rushed to hospital where he was treated for dehydration but is now at home being cared for by Courtney’s sister, Lorraine, 23.

And mum, also Lorraine, 43, says it’s devastating not knowing what exactly happened to her daughter.

HEALTH COMPLICATIONS
She told The Evening Times: “I think it’s affecting us more because we don’t really know what happened.

“They way we are looking at it, is, if it had been one more day would Declan be here?

“It’s a shame because he was crying the other day and I played a video of Courtney and he just stared at her phone. He stopped crying straight away.

“We are going to keep playing them because it will make him feel as if she’s still there.”

Lorraine told how her daughter had suffered two heartbreaking miscarriages which led to further health complications brought on by diabetes.

It was feared Courtney would never fall pregnant again until she did in 2018 – and gave birth to little Declan.

PREGNANCY FEARS
And Lorraine said the young mum relished being a parent.

She said: “I managed it for her but it was more in her later years that it affected her. She fell pregnant and had two miscarriages, last year and the year before that.

“With her being pregnant there were more complications. One was at 6-8 weeks and the other was just under three months.

“She almost died after one of the miscarriages because she got the flu, it was as simple as that.

“She was very ill though and wasn't well the whole way through her pregnancy. He was taking everything out of her. They had to deliver Declan two months early by Caesarean section.

“He was born with only one kidney, which might have been to do with being premature and he spent two months in hospital but he was fine.”

'TERRIBLE FEELING'
Courtney’s mum revealed she had a bad feeling after they failed to make contact with her.

And she praised the efforts of cops who changed baby Declan’s nappy and fed him after Courtney’s body was discovered.

Lorraine said: “I just had this terrible feeling. I said to my daughter, phone the police and she told me she was already at the flat and there was no answer and she couldn’t hear the baby.

“Then I said, just call the police. There is obviously something wrong. I was at the flat and there was ambulances and police but they wouldn’t let me in.

“They said she was there for two days and nobody knew she was there.

“She was lying on the couch with a cover over her and her Lucozade and insulin next to her. The police were really good, they changed Declan’s nappy and gave him some milk.”

'WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING'
The family are now planning to give Courtney a fitting send-off at her funeral.

And Lorraine said Courtney will be remembered as a popular girl and loving mum.

Courtney's heartbroken family are now waiting for the results of more detailed tests - which will take six weeks - after the post-mortem failed to point to the cause of the teen's death.

She added: “She was just a normal teen, dead bubbly. She had loads and loads of friends, she was very popular.

“Last week, she had dyed her hair purple and it had turned orange and she was laughing about it.

“Declan was like a miracle baby to her. If you look at her Facebook page, it was just baby, baby, baby. Every single day, every minute of the day.

“Declan is one of those babies who is always smiling. He’s just started to giggle now. We’ve got to keep going for his sake.”

A fundraising campaign has been launched to help support Courtney’s family.