Thanks for visiting my fundraising page.

 

Thats the three done now.  I completed the Cardiff (almost) half Marathon in 2hours and 8minutes.  Roll on next year.

 Thanks again to everyone who has supported me, I couldnt have done it without you.

 

My reason for wanting to take part in these events is simple, in February this year my beautiful baby daughter Ffion was still born at 26 weeks. My wife Sam and I could not have come this far today without the support of not only our friends and family but also SANDS, Stillbirth and neonatal death charity. 

 

Not only would the funds that I raise go towards the work of the national SANDS charity but it would also be split with the Wrexham and Clwyd branch of SANDS with which we have become involved. We are currently trying to fundraise for a cold cot which is a specially designed temperature controlled cot which would allow parents like us to have more time to create memories with their precious babies. At the moment there is only one of these cots in Wales and that is in Cardiff. We are therefore hoping to raise approximately £3,500 to purchase a cold cot for Wrexham Maelor Hospital which is where Ffiion was born.

 

About the Charity I am raising money for: Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, is an organisation that offers support when a baby dies during pregnancy or after birth.

Sands, was founded in 1978 by a small group of bereaved parents devastated by the death of their babies and in particular by what they felt was a complete lack of acknowledgement and understanding of the significance and impact of their loss.

Over the past 25 years the charity has supported many thousands of families whose babies have died, offering emotional support, comfort and practical help. Sands has worked tirelessly with health professionals to revolutionise the care bereaved families receive in hospital. Sands has fundamentally changed the way in which bereaved parents and their babies are cared for.

Why Sands is so relevant: Incredibly in the UK today, in spite of medical advances, many parents, their families and friends continue to have their lives quite literally turned upside down by the death of their baby.  17 babies a day are either stillborn or die within the first twenty eight days of life, over 6,500 babies dying every year.  Rates of stillbirth have remained relatively unchanged for 20 years and in fact are increasing.

Sands core aims are to:

support anyone affected by the death of a baby;

work with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services provided to bereaved parents and their families;

and promote changes in antenatal practice and to fund research that could help to reduce the loss of babies' lives and the number of families devastated by this tragedy.

With your support we can really make a difference.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Sands gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now and thank you for your support!

Andrew

Running in memory of Ffion Elizabeth, our little angel xxx