My name is James and in May 2021 we should have been welcoming our twins, our second and third babies. But the unthinkable happened. And in May 2022 when we should be celebrating our twins first birthdays, I will be riding and raising money for the Twins Trust in honour of Elliot. Our lost twin.

This is our story…

On 19th February 2021 our lives changed forever when we found out that one of our twins, our baby boy Elliot, had passed away unexpectedly in his mummy’s tummy at 28 and a half weeks.

Elliot and his twin sister Margot were born on 3rd March 2021, 10 weeks prematurely.

This last year has been a mixture of so many emotions. So much happiness that Margot was able to finally make it home with us, growing up alongside her big brother Seb. Yet a constant sadness that our family will never be complete.

The Twins Trust has been a source of help. Their bereavement group for families who have lost twins and multiples let’s us know we are not alone. It provides a community who understand what we have and are constantly going through. A community to turn to on the bad days, but also to go to for ideas on how to honour Elliot and to keep his memory alive.

Unknown to us at the time, Elliot’s placenta had not been working and we lost him to fetal growth restriction. A fact which should have been picked up by the hospital, but was not.

The Twins Trust funding goes towards helping families like ours who have a piece missing, as well as raising awareness of the complications of twin pregnancies; working alongside maternity departments to improve the care provided to twin and multiple pregnancies and save the lives of babies.

I am riding in honour of Elliot. To raise awareness. To help families like ours who have lost something that can never be replaced. In the hopes that we can help stop this happening to other families.

I know he will be with me with every push of the pedal. We can do this baby boy.

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