Gladiator star Steel says medical procedure contributed to death of newborn son

When baby Leo was born in March, mum Samantha George was afraid to open her eyes. At just 23 weeks into her pregnancy, her longed for little boy had arrived dangerously early and doctors warned her there was only a 50% chance he would survive the birth.

But like hisGladiator dad Zack, 35, Leo was a fighter. “He had Zack’s nose and forehead,” smiles Samantha. “We said to the doctors, ‘As long as you feel there is a chance of life, do whatever you can.’”

When Leo was born, Zack – Steel on Gladiators– and his wife Samantha were already parents to Ivy, two. Zack and Samantha married last year at Harlaxton Manor in Grantham, in front of friends, family and a band of Gladiators.

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“We always said we wanted to give Ivy a sibling,” says Samantha. “We married in September and were pregnant at the end of October. We were so chuffed.”

The pregnancy had progressed normally and at the 20-week scan, Samantha and Zack were delighted to discover they were expecting a baby boy. “It was perfect,” adds Zack. “We always wanted a boy and a girl.”

So they were shocked when two weeks later, Samantha felt something was wrong. At the hospital, doctors told her she was in labour – and talked them through their options.

“They give you a piece of paper that basically tells you the likelihood of your baby surviving, and if they do, the possibilities of issues with their sight, hearing, and other disabilities,” says Zack, who was told just 28 out of 100 babies born as early as Leo grow up. “They weren’t great stats. We could have chosen an abortion,” says Zack. “But that never would have been an option.”

Zack and Samantha had experience of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as their niece had been born at 24 weeks and, against the odds, she’d thrived. They hoped Leo would have a similar journey and the early signs were promising.

“He had everything going for him,” says Zack. “He was big, he had a good heart rate.”

They decided their baby needed a strong name. “So he became Leo the Lion because he was strong and he was fighting,” Zack says.

At first, Leo seemed to be defying the odds. “It’s such a rocky road,” says Samantha. “But when your baby comes out alive, you think, ‘We’re just going to get through this now.’”

Zack shared Samantha’s positivity, and they stayed by their son’s side, willing him to keep going.

“He was here for 13 days,” says Zack. “He came out and he was really strong. There was a honeymoon period where for the first day or two everything seemed to be going really well. So well, they decided to take him off the ventilator. He lasted about six hours on CPAP (a non-invasive form of breathing support), then they retubed him, which he stayed on.”

“After the ‘honeymoon stage’ – the first two days – things started to happen, like brain bleeds,” says Zack. “Leo needed blood transfusions, which is normal; his lungs were collapsing, which they expected, there was a hole in his heart and that’s expected, too, as that hole in the heart closes up in later pregnancy.”

However, there was another issue worrying doctors. “He was getting air pockets around his lungs,” explains Zack. “Around the tenth day they started getting a bit bigger. They came to the conclusion that when they tubed him, either the first or the second time, they created a hole in his windpipe. It’s no one’s fault, a baby that young is really fragile, it’s just a risk.”

Sadly, baby Leo began to deteriorate and Zack and Samantha’s family came in to say their goodbyes.

“That was really hard, because if it hadn’t happened, he would probably still be here,” says Zack. “A 23-week-old baby has so much to do. Overnight, he got quite bad, that’s when we went in and he passed away.”

Doctors asked Samantha and Zack if they wanted to try CPR but they couldn’t ask Leo to fight any more. “Imagine that on a baby so tiny?” says Samantha. “We didn’t want to put him through any more pain.”

Ivy never met her brother, and Samantha and Zack will wait until she’s older to tell her what happened. But she brought comfort in their darkest period.

“Ivy definitely helped,” says Zack. “She brought us a lot of joy, kept us smiling and was a good distraction. She has helped us more than she’ll ever know.”

Zack and Samantha have leaned on each other, too, and they’ve been helped by fans who have reached out to them and shared their own experiences. After Leo passed away, Samantha felt “switched off from the whole world” but Zack pulled her through. “It makes you realise you’ve married the right person,” says Samantha, her eyes filling with tears.

Zack poured his feelings into writing a poem he read at Leo’s funeral and began to think of ways to honour his son’s memory. “I’m not normally good at writing poems, but it seemed to come quite naturally.”

Now Zack and Samantha are launching their charity Leo And Friends, which will raise awareness as well as money for Leicester hospital’s NICU department.
It starts with a fundraiser called 13 Days Fighting, sponsored by Currys, which will take place across the UK this month. “I want to try to get something positive out of a really bad situation,” Zack says. “We want to honour him every year with a different challenge and raise awareness and money for Leicester hospital and its amazing staff.”

Zack’s first challenge will be a burpee mile – about 800 burpees – every day for each of the 13 days that his son lived. “Just doing one mile is hard,” says Zack. “Doing 13 back to back will be extremely tough, but I want that. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Zack and Samantha are still processing their grief, but they hope to one day have another baby. “I love Ivy so much I want to give her a friend for life. We’ve been given the OK to try again when we’re ready.”

Both Samantha and Zack feel baby Leo is watching over them and will always be part of their family. “It’s been a really short time, but I need to fill that void,” says Samantha. “We want another baby, another little boy, but we both say, ‘Whatever Leo decides to give us.’ People say you’ll never replace Leo, but I do feel my next baby will be a big part of him.”

Follow Zack during his 13 Days Fighting Burpee Challenge at @zackgeorge and @leoandfriendsfoundation. For more information about the challenge, how to get involved and how to donate, visit leoandfriends.co.uk