When the Pandemic struck in March 2020, my beautiful friend Rosie was 6-7 months pregnant with her first baby. For the last 2 months of her pregnancy the world was in lockdown. It was a very daunting time for most new parents as hospitals had so many restrictions, were the dads even allowed in the room? Would the women be alone? Would they have to wear masks? Hospitals were full to the brim with Covid patients how close would they be to the birthing ward?

On Wednesday 27th May 2020 George Herbert Guthrie Haines was born. George was born at 38 weeks old but unfortunately his little heart had stopped beating. George was full term and was delivered naturally. He was the most perfect little man and looked just like his daddy. There was no explanation as to why he isn’t here now. George should be starting school like many other 4 year olds, running around looking after his baby brothers and sisters.

Each day in the UK, 13 little lives are lost, before, during or soon after birth. As like Rosie and Mark, when delivering your baby, you don’t expect to be walking out of the hospital without them. I can’t even begin to imagine the hurt and emptiness at that moment in time and each day since. A moment in life which should be one of the best days, filled with such sadness.

There is a very special charity called SANDS who straight away offered support, love, guidance and care to Rosie and Mark. This amazing charity offers bereavement support packs as well as providing bereavement care training to professionals, to ensure that any new parents are treated with compassion and respect from the moment they are told the unimaginable news their babies heart has stopped.

I am running the London Marathon 2025 to help raise awareness for the charity SANDs and all the incredible and supportive work they have done for George and his family day and night, and who are continuously promoting research to reduce the number of deaths in babies for future families. This is my personal thank you to SANDS for being the biggest support to the most amazing family there is.

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, operates across the UK: supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby; working in partnership with health professionals to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care; and promoting improvements in practice and funding research that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.