A DEVASTATED mum-to-be has made a heartbreaking appeal to help her fund a headstone for her unborn baby.

Nicole Gaunt, 19, and partner Jordan Garvie, 22, were told their baby had a rare birth defect called anencephaly – an illness which prevents the skull from forming properly in the womb – during their 12-week scan.

Now the duo are preparing to meet the tot, with Nicole's due date imminent, however, the Cambuslang couple know they won't be able to spend much time with their baby boy, who they were told was "not compatible with life".

Nicole told The Scottish Sun: “We went for an eight-week scan and everything seemed fine so the two of us were really happy.

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“Then we went to the 12-week one and the woman just stopped and left, she never said a word. The two of us were just so worried, we knew at that point something was wrong.

“We were taken into another scanning room with a consultant. it was total silence, nobody spoke at all and it was such a bad atmosphere, we knew it was bad news.

“They said JJ’s head wasn’t forming properly. Anencephaly basically stops the back of his skull from forming so he’ll be born without major part of his brain, skull and scalp.

“We’ve heard of miracle kids in America but long term there’s no chance of survival. The doctor doesn’t know how much time we’ll have with him.

“We know he’s getting buried in Westburn Cemetery and we’ve picked out a headstone. We’re just waiting for things to happen to phone the funeral parlour.

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“I’m so overwhelmed just now, I can’t even say it’s just nerves, I’m excited to meet him but so scared of what’s to come, I’ve only got a rough idea of what will happen.”

Nicole continued: “The baby is named after his dad Jordan Jr. Jordan’s got a massive family so there’s loads of them as well as my family all supporting us.

“We speak to him every day, I’m just so proud of him for getting this far. We were told he might not make it to the end of the pregnancy at all.”

And Jordan said: “We need to pay for the gravestone itself and the pitch to open the grave. I have family buried there which is why he’s going there.

“I’m so proud of him for lasting this long, I just wish I could spend more days with him.”

The duo have now surpassed their £800 target. To donate to the fundraiser, visit here.