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Gill and Morag will be cycling the C2C route from Whitehaven to North Shields over three days from 22nd to 24th May 2010, covering 147 miles and some very big hills. We are doing this to raise money for ARC (Antenatal Results and Choices)  (http://www.arc-uk.org/), in memory of Gill's daughter Anna and to help ARC support other families who face the heartbreak of a decision on whether to continue a pregnancy where the outlook for the baby is bleak. ARC supports everyone who contacts them at any stage of a prenatal testing process and continues to do so whatever decision they reach. They are there for parents, grandparents and to help with the process of explaining to older children. They provide the standard literature given to parents facing these decisions and deliver extensive training to doctors, midwives, and other health professionals. They are a small charity and the work they do is in an area no one wants to think about. Please help them to be there for families who are suddenly forced to make decisions no parent should ever have to think about.

Gill's story: Anna

On Valentine’s day in 2008 we went for an ultrasound scan. I was eleven weeks pregnant and nervous. We had a beautiful two year-old daughter but, six months previously, I’d had a miscarriage diagnosed at the 12 week scan. Seeing the heartbeat was instantly reassuring. Then the doctor said “I don’t like what I’m seeing” and our world crumbled. The baby’s nuchal measurement indicated an 85% chance of grave abnormality. However a test the next day showed that her chromosomes were normal. We were advised to wait and see if the problem would resolve itself. So we waited for a month, I went back to work and started to feel the baby kick. Then, on my birthday, we had another scan. It showed that the baby had fluid in and around all the cavities of her body. The consultant explained that the chances of survival to birth were about 2%. If she did survive, she would have multiple severe disabilities. Faced with this, we ended the pregnancy three days later, the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Our tiny daughter was delivered by amazing midwives after a short but agonising labour. We held her, named her Anna and buried her in the children’s cemetery. Despite a post-mortem, we’ve never found out why she was so sick.

 £10 pays for an information and support pack for a bereaved or expectant parent

£20 pays for the website for a day – an essential aid for parents and health professionals

£30 will ensure ARC handbooks go to a hospital to be available to parents on hearing bad news

£50 will give training to a volunteer to provide local support to bereaved and anxious parents

£100 will pay for the upkeep of the helpline for one day – often the first point of call for a distressed parent

£450 will pay for the postage for the a mail out of the ARC Newsletter to 4000 bereaved parents

£1000 will pay for a full day's training for midwives and doctors to provide better care for parents

 

We will be cycling in company with colleagues and friends who are raising money for other charities. Please check out

Claire - cycling for the Motor Neurone Disease Association  http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Khouja

Emma - cycling for the British Heart Foundation http://www.justgiving.com/Emma-Maund

Fiona - cycling for Cancer Research UK http://www.justgiving.com/Fiona-Paton

Meantime another fantastic BabyLoss cause: My friend Rosie is running the London marathon for The Miscarriage Association! - Help her at http://www.justgiving.com/barnpops

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to ARC and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - we raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.