A MUM who lost her baby and husband within six months of each other has spoken about how setting up her own business helped rebuild her life.

Claire Delaney was pregnant with her daughter Gabrielle when her late husband Colin Whiteley died suddenly from a heart condition.

Just months later, tragedy struck again when the mum lost her baby daughter at nine days old, after doctors realised she had been born with half a heart.

The double tragedy plunged the young mum into a grief-fuelled depression.

But now the 40-year-old from Horwich has spoken about how setting up her own baby boutique helped her rebuild her life.

The shop - A Step At A Time in Horwich - and has been vital on the mum’s path through grief and loss.

She said: "Opening the shop was better than therapy for me because it made me deal with it.

“At first it was hard but I ended up loving seeing the babies and their mums, and my daughter Gabrielle felt with me. This gets me up in the morning."

The boutique owner was pregnant with Gabrielle when her late husband, who was 29 at the time, was admitted to hospital for a valve replacement. 11 weeks later he died suddenly because it had come away.

Mrs Delaney said: “I just felt so helpless and asked myself what I had done wrong to deserve it. I could not deal with the death of my husband because I was pregnant. I could not grieve properly, so when I was told about Gabrielle’s condition, I just broke. My whole world was obliterated.

"When Gabrielle was born in October 2008, I asked if they would check up with her because I knew there was something wrong. Four days later they told [me] she had only half a heart.”

Gabrielle was transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and then to Derian House Children’s Hospice, where she died at nine days old.

Mrs Delaney said: “There was no support, I went to the doctors and I got put on anti-depressants.”

Mrs Delaney was a conveyancer at a solicitor’s firm before leaving her job to give birth to her Gabrielle. She went on to have son Cameron, now 15, and daughter Ava, who is seven.

Five years ago, Cameron was also diagnosed with the same heart condition his dad had.

Mrs Delaney's new partner Tom has changed his last name to Delaney because he did not want more change in Cameron’s life. He has also adopted him.