***** Update September 2024 *****

At the end of June we held a Charity Gala at the Saxon Hall, Southend. It was a brilliant evening from start to finish. We raised an outstanding £3500, and reached our target to get 3 cold cots.

Our 1st cot was delivered to the Princess Royal University Hospital in Bromley, we visited the hospital at the end of August to see the cot, which was so lovely and a honour and privilege to hand this over and meet the bereavement team and see the room.

We found out after 3 days of it being delivered, the cot was used. It was nice knowing that we have brought some comfort to other familys already.

Cot 2 and 3 are going to a brand new hospital, the Midlands Metropolitan University Hospital. The hospital is opening in October this year, the maternity department will be ready by November. We are looking forward to seeing the cots and handing these over soon.

I have been collecting knitted blankets from very talented lady's and i am giving these over when i visit the hospitals to go with the cold cots.

I delivered 21 blankets to the first hospital and have many more to give with cots 2 & 3.

Over babyloss awareness week, i will be decorating railings in the town with pink, blue & white knitted hearts to bring awareness and honour the babies that are no longer with us and bring awareness to the public.

Anyone who has lost a baby can have there babies name put on a pink or blue heart that will be in Amos estate agents door window in Hockley.

Depending on how many hearts we recieve depends on how many railings we can fill, but over time i hope to have the whole town filled .

We are also hoping to do this in Benfleet, Hadleigh, Thundersley & Rayleigh, depending on how many hearts we recieve.

Colin from Amos has been a massive help so im very thankful for his support throughout this planning.

I will be doing another sweet stall and raffle at the girls school on friday 11th October, and i will be holding a cake sale/raffle and knitted baby items outside Amos on the 12th October to raise as much money as we can to get cot number 4.

We want to thank everyone for donating, and supporting us over this last year.

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I will be running the LLHM 2024 with Nicola Osborne, Claire Duggan and Lee Douglas in memory of our beautiful son Albie, who was in our lives for a fleeting moment, but will be in our hearts forever.

Last July, Holly and I were getting ourselves prepared to welcome our baby boy Albie to the world, and introduce him to two very excited big sisters.

Saturday 29th July 2023 will be forever etched in our memories and as a father of two daughters already, a moment you do not ever expect to happen, or be prepared for. The words left the mouth of the Doctor in the Maternity ward "I'm very sorry, there is no hearbeat" them words will live in my head and haunt me for the rest of my life.

I had no words and felt absolutely lost and alone. Parents will always do all they can for their children, but I felt absolutely helpless, and heartbroken for my daughters and Holly. The next day Albie was born via c-section, and we spent three days creating many memories and introducing Albie to family, and our two daughters. They got to meet and spend time with their baby brother. The Forget me not suite at Basildon Hospital was amazing, and it was here we were introduced to the many charities that enabled us to make memories with Albie as a family.

There truly is too many Charities to mention, but one close to our hearts now is Abigails Footsteps. Without the use of the Cold cot provided, we wouldn't of been able to spend three nights that we will cherish forever with Albie.

Abigail's Footsteps help in many ways, from creating sympathetic spaces for parents in hospitals, to providing much needed equipment for parents to spend longer with their babies, including cold cots.

Pease help us raise vital funds, which will enable us to purchase an Abi cold cot to be donated to Hospitals and other families going through bereavement and baby loss.

Every little helps and will make a huge difference.

Thank you from us all. We will be forever grateful for your help.