Laura and I are walking 50km over the month of May to raise money for Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

Sands is determined to make a real difference to the lives of bereaved families across the UK, ensuring that everyone affected by the loss of a baby gets the support they need and deserve when facing their toughest times.

Our baby Humphrey, was born on the 21st March 2024 at 21 weeks gestation, he survived 37 wonderful minutes before passing away in my arms. After he has passed, the hospital gave us a memory box, provided by Sands, this memory box allowed us to deal with our loss through memory-making, the box contained things like a hand and footprint kit, baby details book, certificate of birth, a blanket and a 'Heart in Their Hand' - which was a lovely keyring for us containing a small removable heart which stayed with Humphrey. This memory box now serves as a beautiful reminder of the baby we sadly didn't get to bring home and has given us something to hold onto and cherish our baby's memory with, forever.

As well as this Sands works in partnership with healthcare professionals to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care. They believe that parents facing the death of a baby in pregnancy or shortly after birth must be cared for with compassion, patience and understanding. We were lucky enough to receive the best care, support and guidance from an amazing team of midwifes and consultants and we will forever be grateful for them. Raising money for this wonderful charity will help ensure more families, like us receive the same level of care and support as they journey through this unknown new reality.

We know this isn't the 'biggest' challenge, but It is something for us to focus on for now and hopefully a stepping stone to bigger things. It really means so much to us that you've visited our fundraising page. We,re so grateful for anything you're able to donate. Thank you for reading our story and thank you in advance!