An unborn baby died saving the life of her mother after a lorry driver crashed into them.
Nursery worker Louise Abbott, 28, was 25 weeks pregnant when a suicidal lorry driver veered across the road and ploughed into her car near Cambridge in October 2016.
She was forced to give birth to her stillborn daughter as her injuries were so severe she was not able have a caesarean.
Doctors told Mrs Abbott that the unborn child, who they named Layla, sustained a fractured skull after her baby bump took the impact of the crash.
In October 2017 Leroy Margolis, 29, from Wandsworth, was jailed for two years for causing serious injury by dangerous driving.
He will be banned from the roads for three years when he is released from jail.
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Now, Mrs Abbott and her husband Laurence, 30, have received compensation for their horrific ordeal.
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The undisclosed settlement from insurance will now pay for the specialist therapies and support she is continuing to receive following her ordeal.
Mrs Abbott, of Finchingfield, near Braintree, Essex, said: The crash, finding out Layla had died and then giving birth to her is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
It is almost impossible to put into words the effect it has had on me and Laurence.
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We go through a full mix of emotions each day knowing that Layla should still be part of our family and thinking what if, even though the events were clearly out of our control.
Doctors previously told her that she may never had children because of one of her ovaries had been rendered useless as a result of her injuries.
However, she gave birth to a healthy daughter Avery by C-section in September last year.
Mrs Abbott added: At first we felt guilty because of Layla but Avery was not a replacement for Layla.
Layla will also be part of our family. Avery will know all about her big sister but we will always be sad that they never got to meet each other and grow up with one another, forming the bonds and friendships sisters should.
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Speaking previously, Mrs Abbott said: Our baby had little nails and hair and she was fully formed, fully developed, ready to be born the next day.
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But now, we know that without her I might not be alive had it not been for the accident- and little Avery wouldnt have been born, and I wouldnt be here to have more children in the future.
Because of the extra blood I had in me due to my pregnancy, and because Layla cushioned the bump, I wouldnt have lived had it not been for her.
I will never forget those words, “Im sorry, your baby has died”.
Its bittersweet. Weve bought a special book to give to Avery, when shes old enough to understand that she once had a big sister, who just had to go to another place.
Tracey Storey, Partner and specialist serious injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing the family, said: It may have been two years since Laylas death but the pain and loss that Louise and Laurence continue to experience is still understandably extremely raw.
While no amount of money will ever make up for what has happened, we are pleased that Louise has been able to access the support she needs so she, Laurence and their family can try and look to the future the best they can while never forgetting Layla.
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