An Ellon dad says he is living a nightmare after his “amazing” fiancée passed away just hours after the death of their newborn son.
Simon Allsop, 37, was preparing to celebrate what should have been one of the happiest moments of his life.
But in one day his whole world collapsed in an unimaginable tragedy.
Little baby Aiden died just minutes after being born on Thursday, March 21.
And, several hours later, the love of Simon’s life, new mum Amy Finnie, passed away aged just 29 after complications during childbirth.
During an emotional interview, Simon described being able to hold his beautiful son for “a precious five minutes” before he passed away in his arms. He said those minutes will be treasured forever.
Speaking to The P&J at his mother’s home in Ellon yesterday, he told of the “nightmare” he is currently living.
“Every day I’m thinking ‘it’s just a nightmare that I’m going to wake up from’,” he said.
Simon said he was dreading having to tell Amy that Aiden had died, but tragically she never woke up.
“Life can be cruel, but how can it be this cruel to someone as amazing and loving as Amy?” he said.
Simon is currently living with his mother, and when visiting his home to take care of the cat, he said: “I just think that she’s going to come downstairs or through from another room.”
Amy and Simon started dating in May 2017, having first met at a New Year’s party in 2015.
After being “just friends” for over a year who would “chat now and again”, the romance started to blossom as they spent more time together.
The pair of cinema fans had Unlimited cards for Cineworld and on one of their first visits, they agreed to watch as many films as possible in one day.
Simon said he instantly knew this was the beginning of something special.
“By the third film, I couldn’t even focus on it,” he said.
“I was just sitting realising this is someone who chooses to spend time with me.”
In the early stages of their relationship, the pair bonded over their love of walking and finding new places to explore.
Simon said: “Whatever little adventure it was, it wasn’t the actual activity I was enjoying. It was because it was her I was doing it with, making great memories, that’s what I enjoyed the most.”
Amy’s big heart was one of the things Simon loved about her the most.
After four months of dating, he was made redundant from his job in the oil and gas industry and was picking up agency work.
And an evening which should have resulted in the pair going for a nice meal after the cinema turned into a Tesco meal deal for two.
Simon said he “felt bad” as he wanted to treat her, but this was more than enough for Amy. “It was just the type of person she was,” he said. “She said she didn’t care as long as we could be together.”
On their fifth anniversary in 2022, he decided to propose.
The couple had an anniversary ritual, which saw them both walk to the Prop of Ythsie in Tarves before watching a film and going for a meal.
Amy knew how much Simon loved the silver screen and always bought him the movie they watched on their anniversary as a birthday gift.
On this occasion, his mum, stepdad Rory and younger brother Mark were on hand to take pictures of them at the prop, which Amy thought was going to be an anniversary present for a new house.
Instead, Simon proposed with a rose and a simple note that read, “Time to go ring shopping”.
“You can prepare the speech in your head so much, but it just comes out like a jumble,” Simon said.
“But the message got across and she said ‘yes’.”
In that same year in August, the pair bought their forever home together in Ellon.
It was bought to prepare for “when kids come along” and they got a cat together. They named him Angus.
Simon explained: “We had to use some of the budget that was for the wedding to buy our dream home. But whether the wedding was to be a small event or a big event, it would be a very special day either way.”
This summer – on July 25 – the couple was due to get married at Meldrum House Hotel.
Amy had taken the lead role in organising the special day and when they heard the wonderful news they were to be parents, they started referring to their son as their “little wedding crasher”.
The couple had just finished decorating the nursery as Amy went on maternity leave from Links Nursery in Balmedie, where she was loved by all the children and staff.
Simon said his life felt complete as the excited pair waited patiently to meet their son.
‘Amy never asked for much’
“I would think that even if I ever had a bad day, I couldn’t wait to come home and see her and the baby,” he said.
“Amy never asked for much, she didn’t care that we didn’t go on fancy holidays or if I bought her big expensive gifts. She was just happy with what she had and the life we were going to have.
“She told me I made her happy and I couldn’t wait to make her happier and be a good husband.
“There were so many times I told her I loved the idea of being a parent with her.”
Simon had even prepared to take time off towards the end of the year to spend with his family as it was to be Aiden’s first Christmas and Amy’s 30th birthday on January 2.
“They had so much to look forward to with the baby and the wedding and it’s just all gone,” said Simon’s mum, Maria who has been supporting him during the past week.
“She was such a lovely, lovely girl who never had a bad word to say about anybody,” she said.
“It’s so hard trying to understand something that you’ll never understand. In this day and age, you don’t expect this to happen.
“We’re never going to forget Amy.
“She really did deserve her happy ever after.”
Simon said he will “treasure forever” a little bunny rabbit that he and Amy showed family and friends when they revealed they were having a baby boy.
It has Aiden’s heartbeat inside, which you can hear when squeezed.
Simon said he intends to take it up to the Prop of Ythsie on May 27, which would have been their seventh anniversary.
Amy and Aiden are survived by Amy’s mum Shirley and dad Gordon, brothers Bertie and Harry, as well as sister Kirsty.
Simon’s family, which includes his dad Peter, older brother Chris and younger brother Mark, plan to do the Kiltwalk this year – something Amy and Simon have done numerous times together – and plan to raise money for a bereaved families charity.
A JustGiving page has also been set up by Links Nursery in Amy and Aiden’s memory, with all money raised to be donated to a cause of the family’s choice.
“The loss felt by everyone who knew her is immense,” they said.
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