Kym Marsh overcame the heartache of losing her son Archie thanks to the "normality" of life.
Kym Marsh
The 41-year-old actress' son was born 18 weeks premature and lived for just a few seconds in 2009 - but Kym has admitted the "reality" of everyday life helped her to see a future beyond the tragedy.
Kym - whose 'Coronation Street' character Michelle had a stillbirth at 23 weeks - shared: "We could all sit down and go, you know what, I have lost a child, I can't move on. And I fully understand how people can feel like that.
"But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I think that is the driving force behind me wanting to reach out and help people. You can move forward, you can be happy again.
"There were moments where filming was difficult. You couldn't do something that has changed your life for ever, and revisit it, without it having some moments where it's tough. But my family were unbelievably supportive."
In particular, Kym said that her six-year-old daughter Polly, who was born two years after the tragedy, played a crucial role in helping her to rediscover the joy in life.
The actress - who also has a 22-year-old son called David and a 19-year-old daughter named Emily - told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I would walk through the door and Polly would be there running round and asking what is for dinner. She doesn't care whether I have had a bad day or not, she just wants her mum.
"So the reality and normality of my life was the thing that got me out of that. The realisation that this is real, and this is now."
Meanwhile, Kym revealed she was determined to take on the harrowing storyline in 'Coronation Street' because it's important to "educate people about stillbirth and late miscarriage".
She said: "Corrie told me right from the start that I didn't have to do it. They said 'Go away, think about it, talk to your family and take your time'.
"But my instinct was to do it as it would raise awareness and educate people about stillbirth and late miscarriage and the process of what happens.
"The one thing that got me through my loss was talking about it. Obviously in the beginning you don't want to, but it is important to help you accept what has happened and move forward."
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