My son, Emmanuel, was born on Friday 8th December 2023. Unfortunately, due to Trisomy 18 (Edward’s Syndrome), he passed away 2 days later. In his memory, I'm running 10K with some of my family and friends to raise money for the organisations that supported Emmanuel, my wife and I, during the whole journey.

The beneficiaries will be the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Luton & Dunstable Hospital; Keech Hospice; Soft UK; Sands, and Together for Short Lives.

Knowing that your unborn child, especially your first, has a life-limiting condition is extremely hard to take. Keech came alongside us, making appointments more bearable, treating us with compassion. Your donation will enable them to support families, and provide free, specialist care for adults and children with a life-limiting illness.

The NICU team at L&D Hospital also treated us with love and respect. They allowed us to spend time with our son, supporting us in creating memories like changing his nappy, feeding him, and dressing him.1 in 10 babies in the UK needs specialist care when born. Your gift will ensure babies like Emmanuel get the help and equipment they need.

After Emmanuel passed, our family and friends were and still are, a great support. Additional help came from Soft UK - a charity dedicated to supporting families of children with Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13 (Patau’s syndrome); Sands - who helps those affected by the death of a baby; and Together for Short Lives - who support families caring for the most seriously ill children across the UK. Your donation will provide research and resources to families in a similar position to me.

On Saturday 7th September, me, Ben, Brian, David, Luke and Scott, will run 10K as part of the Bedford Running Festival. Your sponsorship will be a great encouragement to us, with the total donations being split equally amongst the charities. It will make a genuine difference to babies and their families not just in Bedfordshire, but across the UK.