BROADCHURCH actress Sarah Parish’s marriage almost fell apart after the death of her baby girl.
The 48-year-old and her husband James Murray were left heartbroken in 2009 when their daughter Ella-Jayne passed away at just eight months old.
Ella-Jayne had been born with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, which is characterised by short stature, learning difficulties which can vary in severity, and can also include heart and kidney defects.
And speaking to the Daily Mail, Sarah admitted their loss almost tore their marriage apart.
She said: “Such an incredible loss inevitably puts an enormous strain on a relationship because people grieve in different ways.
“It would take the most emotionally mature people to be able to cope in that situation, and to comfort one another in the correct way.
“I can only say now, eight years later, that I’m not sure we were able to do that at the time.
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“We have made mistakes and done things that don’t work for each other – and you either end up together, or you don’t.
“I think if we hadn’t created a charity, the Murray Parish Trust, in memory of our daughter, then things wouldn’t have worked out so well for us.”
Sarah added the charity has given them both something to focus on and has been good for their marriage.
She added: “The pressure of grief is such that either you end up separating or, miraculously, you don’t.
“Jim and I have remained together despite some terrible, terrible times. We have our problems like any other couple.
“But we made some decisions which ultimately helped bring us through to the other side intact.”