Story
We are fundraising for Sands in memory of our son, Henryk (Henio), who was stillborn on 29 January.
Sands is a charity that supports anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. They provide care and information for bereaved families, and fund research into the causes of stillbirth, which affects 1 in every 250 pregnancies in the UK (8 babies every day).
Unfortunately, this rate has risen since the pandemic. In 2021, the UK had the 12th worst stillbirth rate vis-à-vis 17 comparable countries. The ambition of halving the 2010 stillbirth rate by 2025 (to 2.6 stillbirths per 1,000 births) has not been achieved.
Despite its relatively frequent incidence, stillbirth is both little discussed in public and little understood by science. Its causes remain unexplained in up to 60% of cases. We don't yet know what happened to Henio, and may never find out the causes of his late-term stillbirth, so research like this is crucial for other families in the future.
Here are some examples of studies funded by Sands to address the enormous gaps in research:
https://www.sands.org.uk/about-sands/our-work/our-studies
Your support would mean a lot to us.