Daniel Marsden

Men VS Mountains, the Tommy's baby charity challenge

Fundraising for Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity
£1,720
raised of £1,000 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Mountain top treks
Yearly fundraiser, 30 June 2023
We fund research to make pregnancy and birth safe for all

Story

Myself and karl murton, Sean Hayes and Paul Moss are fundraising for Tommy’s who provide expert advice and fund pioneering research to prevent stillbirth, miscarriage and premature birth. Your sponsorship allows Tommy’s to continue their vital work – in short you’re helping save babies' lives.

Please give generously, your support means the world to me.

I've included my personal story below from previous 2018-2020 we are still trying and still hopeful to one day have our rainbow baby, until then and I guess forever i will continue to champion Tommy's by fundraising and raising awareness of this cause and sharing the male side so more men feel able to speak out.

Trigger warning below is our story please do not read if you feel it may cause you additional trauma.

May 7th 2018 Tuesday afternoon after trying for many years we were finally expecting. My first reaction "let's go the asda and get some dog food"

Yeah not what you expected? The overwhelming disbelief I needed the extreme normality and mundanity of a trip to the asda to let it sink in. We bought about 20 tests to make sure it was all true. We phoned a midwife even though it was only 3 weeks at most. We got told to sit tight and wait for an appointment at the 6 week point 😅. We didn't know what to do so we nervously carried on and fretted excited and scared.

We had an early scan at 7 weeks that did not reveal much the lady believed we had mismatched our dates about 2 weeks and thats why they could not find a heart beat but everything looked ok.

We had an early scan at 7 weeks that did not reveal much the lady believed we had mismatched our dates about 2 weeks and thats why they could not find a heart beat but everything looked ok.

Weeks passed we were due our first scan, we started to get some spotting. Terrified we tentively went to a and e it was a Saturday after some hours of bloods we were told so close to scan it was not worth doing an early scan and everything would probably be fine. Still nervous and unable to settle we again booked last minute for a reassurance scan at a private scan centre. Il never forget the moment we were told our baby had no heart beat till my dying day. The moment we both lost a piece of our own heart, how kind the nurse was and how numb it all felt. The agony of having to walk out through a room of expecting parents trying to hold the shattered pieces of ourselves together till we reached the car.

I phoned around people to let them know I. Held my pain locked it away and got things done, I did what I thought was my duty I sorted things I did the mundane household chores, I took the dog for a walk I protected my wife held her and wiped her tears as I held my own. Stubborn afraid to face the reality whilst pretending I was at peace with the reality. A man made of broken glass held together by will, afraid to show weakness and vulnerability and now I know that's probably what my wife needed most.

We had an official scan at the hospital, we heard our baby had no heart beat. The words held less force this time, the world moves on we had to move on. We were given options, we opted for medical management. We were not prepared, they say it's like a heavy period, fortunately I have never had to experience either but I have seen my wife cope with periods and this was not that and if I could have swapped places and took that pain I would have in a heartbeat, for the sheer want of taking away her suffering and pain and because selfishly it would remove the feeling of being so useless as I sat with her rubbing her back and wiping away her sweat.

E3 a gaming conference it was on during this time, my wife made me watch each night and chat to my friends and get excited it seems hollow but she wanted normality. (I told you she was a hero) she bought me a really expensive game for my birthday I broke down because I knew it all meant nothing and I'd give up all my possessions to have that moment back when we would be parents but I let her buy me it because she wanted to do something to make me feel better to make her feel better.

Later that year, we had another miracle, just over a year after our first tragedy we were pregnant again. There was more worry this time, we bought supplements we changed habits, I stopped my wife doing anything that might jeopardise this pregnancy. After a few weeks it all got too much, we had an early scan to reassure and after a long minute in that room we had a strong heart beat and the world started moving again. I wept. This was it. Just before the 12 week scan, spotting we had a reassurance scan I sat in that chair I held my wife's hand and I wept because there was no heart beat.

That was just over a year ago, coming up to the date I lost control, I started feeling like I was back in that room I was trapped in that moment and I was being told my baby had no heartbeat again and again. I told my wife, and she held me and she said that's how I feel all the time and we just held each other.

This is not a happy story, but there is love. I don't know what the future holds, but I know our story is a sadly a common story, it's not one that told more muttered in hushed circles, its strange how people don't talk about miscarriage given how common it is.

That's my story. I'm so lucky to have the support of friends and family and hopefully will continue to support myself, karl and Sean on the run up to the 3 peaks.

We will climb over 4 days snowden, scarfell and Ben nevis between 30th of june to the 5th of July.

As is tradition I will schedule a 24 stream later that month dates tbc and hopefully will get some prizes donated to run comps and raffles tbc.

Thank you for reading! Il add more as the months go by, hopefully will do a blog/vlog of the fitness prep, standby!

Cheers guys ❤️

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About the charity

Tommy's funds medical research into the causes of premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage. We’re dedicated to finding causes and treatments to save babies’ lives as well as providing trusted pregnancy and baby loss information and support.

Donation summary

Total raised
£1,720.00
+ £263.75 Gift Aid
Online donations
£1,720.00
Offline donations
£0.00

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