Kym Marsh has revealed the beautiful gesture that her Coronation Street co-star Alison King makes for her each year.
The actress, who plays Michelle Connor, told OK! mag that Alison, aka Carla Connor, lights a candle every year in memory of Kym’s late son Archie, as Archie shares a birthday with Alison’s own daughter.
Kym lost son Archie in 2009 when he was born 18 weeks premature.
She held Archie’s Footprint Ball in Manchester earlier this month in memory of the little boy, and was joined by a string of Corrie co-stars and famous friends.
Read more: Scarlett Moffatt reveals the one area in life where she keeps failing
Kym told OK! magazine she was particularly grateful that Alison had come, as the actress rarely attends red carpet events.
“Alison’s daughter Daisy shares the same birthday as Archie,” explained Kym. “Ali had just given birth when she heard I had lost Archie.
“It was a difficult time.
“So every year on Daisy’s birthday they always send me a photo of a candle they have lit for Archie.
“So it’s lovely that we were all there at the ball together.”
Kym and then-partner Jamie Lomas were heartbroken when Archie was born at 21 weeks, 5 days on February 11, 2009.
He died just moments later.
Archie’s Footprint Ball, held in Manchester on February 10, was to mark what would have been Archie’s ninth birthday.
It raised funds for the Mariposa Trust, which works with families who have experienced bereavement.
Kym recently revealed she’d made the decision not to have any more children, after Archie’s birth and a difficult pregnancy with daughter Polly.
The soap star told ITV’s Lorraine that she made the decision as it would be “too painful” to go through such trauma again.
She explained: “To be honest, I took the decision to not have any more children. I can’t have any more children now.
“I made that decision after I had Polly. I don’t know if anybody knows. I almost lost Polly as well several times throughout the pregnancy and it was very traumatic.
“I was on bed rest for months and she was born very early. She was born seven weeks premature. Thankfully she’s okay and really healthy, but it was traumatic.”
Kym continued: “I took the decision I wasn’t going to [have more children] as I’m lucky enough to have the three children I’ve got, and I didn’t want to run that risk because it’s too painful.”
The former Hear’Say star shares daughter Polly, six, with ex-husband Jamie. She has daughter Emilie, 20, and son David, 22, from a previous relationship.
Explaining why she founded the Archie’s Footprint Ball, she told Lorraine that she’d always wanted to do something in Archie’s memory, especially after seeing the impact of her Coronation Street stillbirth storyline last year.
“It was the single worse thing that has ever happened to me and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone,” she said.
“My ambition now is to try and help people who are in that situation.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the support from people and the generosity. People giving up their time to help out by singing or donating prizes and we are so hoping it will be a huge success.
“This year we will be supporting the Mariposa Trust which offers support and services to people who have lost children at any age, whether it is during pregnancy, birth or infancy. Every child counts.”
We’re glad it was such a success.