Helping other families through pregnancy and baby loss

I'm raising money in aid of THE SHREWSBURY AND TELFORD HOSPITAL NHS TRUST CHARITY and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

On the 8th July 2023 we heard those devastating words no parents want to hear… “I’m sorry your baby has no heartbeat”. Our world completely shattered and our hearts broke. We couldn’t believe all our hopes and dreams and plans we had made for our baby boy were taken away from us. On the 10th July, our precious boy Elliot was born sleeping at 24 weeks and 5 days.

Shrewsbury and Telford hospital labour and delivery ward and bereavement team provided the much needed support and information we needed to help us process what we were going through. We spent two special days in the hospital with Elliot soaking up his ten tiny toes and fingers, his perfect features and having all the cuddles we could. The midwives and bereavement team were so compassionate and accommodating to all our wishes. We were able to have professional photos taken, take prints of his hands and feet and make as many cherished memories as we could with our time together. During a time when we couldn’t fully process what was even happening and life felt empty, we are so thankful the support and resources were there to capture these memories for us to look back on. The hospital and staff truly have thought of everything and went above and beyond to support us.

Following the loss of Elliot, whilst I was on maternity I decided to sign up to Manchester Marathon 2024 to raise funds to help other families make those all important memories with their babies who have gone to heaven too. However we were blessed to fall pregnant with our rainbow baby Lincoln who was born in August 2024. Not only has the hospital and bereavement team supported us through Elliot, but continued to support us through our pregnancy with Lincoln via the Rainbow Clinic they provide. This allowed me to be seen by mental health specialists and have my second pregnancy monitored extra closely to ease my anxiety.

As I deferred my spot to run in 2024, this now means I will be running this year’s Manchester Marathon. All money raised will go towards helping future families experiencing pregnancy and baby loss and offer further support for all rainbows babies too.

Thank you for reading our story. Being 8 months postpartum and breastfeeding Lincoln has meant my training for this has been less than ideal and therefore every penny will encourage me to get across that finish line!!