Midwife Grace Lucas was just doing her job when she helped deliver Kelly Bowler’s daughter Penelope into the world at Colchester Hospital, in September 2023.
However, her impact was hugely significant, so much so that Kelly – who had suffered a miscarriage with her second baby a year earlier – gave Penelope the middle name, Grace.
Inset, Grace Lucas. Main picture, Kelly Bowler kisses newborn Penelope.
Ironically, Grace – who now works for ESNEFT as a community midwife – is 31 weeks pregnant with her first child but said she will always treasure Kelly’s gesture.
Grace said: “It’s really sweet and it’s a real honour when that happens as you are not just being recognised through a present or a gift, it is something that lasts for life.
“The fact that Penelope may one day ask why her middle name is Grace and for Kelly to explain why, is amazing, it makes me feel really special.”
Grace was working on a preceptorship – a structured, supportive transition period – for newly registered health professionals when Penelope was born.
She revealed what might have made such an impact on Kelly that day.
Grace said: “Listening to the woman and knowing what her needs are, makes a real difference.
“I am now looking at it from the perspective of being pregnant and I know how important that is.”
Grace added: “When my brother was born, there was a big age gap of 12 years, and he spent a lot of time in the neonatal unit when he was born.
Kelly cuddles Penelope
“I always thought being a midwife looked such a cool job and the older I got the more I wanted to care for women – that has become my passion.”
Kelly, who also works for ESNEFT, as an assistant practitioner for ESNEFT’s district nursing team in Clacton, said: “After losing my second child in 2022 I was nervous and anxious, but Grace was reassuring.
“I owe everything to her – she really stuck by me and was wonderful.
“I was lucky enough to give birth to Penelope, who is two-and-a-half now, and when we were thinking of middle names, there was one in particular that came to mind.”
Kelly, married to Ben with whom she has Penelope and six-year-old Annabelle, ran the London Marathon recently, raising money for Aching Arms – a charity that supports families when they experience losing a baby, during pregnancy, at birth or soon after.
She said: “Aching Arms are always there for you, regardless of where you are on your journey.”
Grace Lucas
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