Our 'Little Lion' Leo was born sleeping on 13th May, at 30+5 weeks, weighing 3lb 3oz. He was too beautiful for this world, but we believe that he had a purpose. We feel so strongly that Leo's Legacy can make a difference to families like ourselves going through the devastating experience of losing a baby.

We have been overwhelmed with the amazing support from our friends and family, who have helped us through this unimaginably difficult time - and we feel strongly that we would like to use the strength we have found in ourselves to help others who are also in our situation.

We would like to raise £1,000 in Leo's memory so that we can put this towards charities and causes that help support parents affected by stillbirth. We also want to help fund vital research projects into stillbirths, aiming to reduce stillbirth rates and get more answers for parents who lose their babies.

We lost Leo following a complication with his umbilical cord known as a Fetomaternal hemorrhage. This is a rare complication, with little known about its causes or how it can be prevented in pregnancy. Although we could consider ourselves fortunate to know what it was that took Leo from us, there is still so much we don't know. Many parents are left with no answers as to why their baby died. This is why research is needed more than ever.

Charities such as Tommy's and SANDS do incredible work to support parents who are affected by stillbirth and neonatal deaths, and we want to contribute to the work they are doing to raise awareness and make a difference.

Stillbirth is something that we have discovered many people are unfortunately un-educated about, and it is not something that is talked about very often. The current statistics on stillbirth are shocking...

* In 2018, approximately 12 babies were stillborn locally in Peterborough, that's around 1 per month

* Around 3,500 families a year are told that their baby has not survived after 24 weeks gestation

* In the UK, 1 in every 225 pregnancies end in stillbirth

* 9 babies are stillborn every day in the UK

* An estimated 4.2 million women are living with depression linked to stillbirth

We want to ensure families like ourselves have the right support, services and facilities available, and that there is continued investment for vital research into the causes of stillbirth so that we can really make a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story,

Stevie & Ross - Leo's Mummy & Daddy