Hello!

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to visit my page!

My name is Ross, I'm 29 from Blackpool and last year my Fiancée (Jess) and I had an ectopic pregnancy.

If you have anything to give, please consider giving it to the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust. Alternatively, sharing this page or any social media posts to spread the message would help massively. 

More information about how they help can be found on their website www.ectopic.org.uk. 

Social Media
Instagram: www.instagram.com/itstheadamsfamily/

More information about the challenge and why I'm raising money for the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust (EPT) can be found below.

Using funds raised through charitable donations, the EPT advance education, promote awareness of ectopic pregnancy, offer support lines, forums and a website full of information while supporting research.

Website: www.ectopic.org.uk

The Challenge

As part of our road to a healthier lifestyle, I have signed up to run Blackpool 10km. This would be a challenge in itself considering my inability to run however, having agreed with Jess it's the right time for us, I have also teamed up with the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust (EPT) to take on their EPT1000 challenge. 

To complete the EPT1000, I will be running, walking, cycling and (sometimes) swimming my way to 1,000km. My aim is to complete 990km before stepping on to the start line of the Blackpool 10km on May 14th, this will allow me to complete both goals at the same time and resulting in one emotional finish!

Completing this challenge not only allows me to raise awareness of the EPT, but also attempt to raise some money for them in the process. 1 in 80 pregnancy's are ectopic and if left untreated, can result in serious health consequences. There is also no way to save a pregnancy once deemed ectopic and in most cases surgery is required.

From my perspective, taking on this challenge also forces me to talk about our experiences and, as a stereotypical male, I tend to struggle with emotions and don't talk about them openly, so this is a definite step in the right direction. 

For both of us though, this is another step on the road to our family and we can't wait for that day.

Our Story
For a long time we were having difficulties conceiving which resulted in us seeking help from a gynaecologist. We didn't realise at the time but Jess was actually pregnant during our consultation and we found out shortly after.

I was out on a bike ride and Jess called me crying, I raced home and found her sitting in the bathroom with a pregnancy test. I remember this explosion of emotion, relief, excitement and even nervousness. After we'd finished dancing around the house, we decided to use the dating pregnancy tests and filmed the little hour glass as it displayed 2 - 3 weeks. 

Due to Jess' history, when we made her GP aware, they advised us to get booked in for an early pregnancy scan as soon as we could. Although Jess showed no signs of pain or discomfort, we knew it was the right thing. It was difficult for us to get excited until we knew everything was in the right place and looking healthy. 

Before the scan, we were on holiday for a week and we found it so difficult not to get carried away. We tried not to talk in too much detail about the future, and to focus more on the now, the problem was, this was so exciting and something we'd been working towards for so long, it was all we could think about. What names we liked, what the house would look like, what our family would look like, how many we wanted, lets have loads!

I remember sitting in the darkened room, staring at a grainy image on a small monitor for what seemed like forever. We already felt there was something wrong during the scan, and when the sonographer removed his gloves and turned the lights on, we knew. Jess was quickly rushed in to emergency surgery and they removed the tube, and with it, our little family. 

This was Jess' second ectopic pregnancy which means we can no longer conceive naturally, relying completely on IVF. We're lucky that we still have this option available to us and are currently working through the process.

We knew to give us the best possible chance of conceiving, and having an event free pregnancy, we needed to get as fit and healthy as possible. This started us both on a health drive to walk, swim, cycle and run more. The dogs love it as they're outside a lot and we love it as we begin to look and feel healthier.

Since the operation, Jess has recovered well physically and we're working hard to achieve each goal/target. We're aiming to get through IVF and start our family this year which will be an incredible moment for us both.