Running the journey of Orlando Nova's Life

My husband Jonny (Orlando's Daddy) is running 41.5 miles taking place on the 10th and 24th September in memory of Orlando's first birthday.

Our little boy is devastatingly not physically with us due to having his life cut short surrounding issues within his birth on the 10th September 2021. Orlando sustained catastrophic injuries that meant he was sadly not compatible with life, despite being completely healthy previously. Our hearts are absolutely broken, and we never anticipated to be experiencing his first birthday where he is not present with us.

Orlando's daddy wanted to honour him by running the journey that Orlando experienced within his short little life. Jonny will run 20.8 miles on the 10th of September from our house to Worthing Hospital, where Orlando was born, and then to Brighton Hospital, where Orlando was transferred to after delivery, which is the journey Orlando made on the 9th and 10th of September 2021. Then on the 24th September, Jonny will run 20.7 miles from Brighton Hospital to St George's Church in West Grinstead, where Orlando's end of life service was held, going via Steyning, which is where Orlando's final journey was. Jonny felt that this was a way to commemorate Orlando's journey. Every person's life is a form of journey; we meet people, we have an impact on their lives, and that impact continues forward for years to come. In Orlando's case, his journey was cut short. This shouldn't mean that he cannot continue to have a positive impact on this world, which is why Jonny and Robyn want to raise money so that in his honour, he can help others with any money raised.

The charity that we have chosen is the Rocking Horse Foundation, specifically endowed to to Trevor Mann Baby Unit, where Orlando had great nurses and an amazing consultant. Dr Garland, and his nurse's Rebs, Lucie and Rebecca were absolutely incredible with Orlando, and it helped us feel supported during the most traumatic and dreadful time of ours and Orlando's lives. This money will go to the unit to buy new equipment to help the babies; when we last spoke to them, they were trying to save up for a portable X-Ray machine.