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I will never forget where I was when I got the text message I had been waiting for from my best friend, I knew she had gone into labour the day before so I kept my phone by my side waiting for the text to say that Imogen had been born.

Saturday morning my phone whistled and it was from Gen, I knew what it was and opened the message. What I read didn't make sense and I must have read and re read that message a thousand times in the end I had to take it to my husband for him to read it to me. 

It was the most beautiful and the most heart breaking message I have ever read, it started 'Imogen Eliza Ocean was born sleeping, she will never wake up, we love her so much' It made no sense to me at all, Gen was at my house 2 days before, she was a week past her due date and had been booked in for her induction for the following week. Imogen had been moving around and Gen had that excited look about her and we talked about how Imogen and my 5 month old son Ollie were going to be friends just like their Mummies, so surly the message must be wrong. 

Sadly it wasn't wrong it was exactly as it said, my beautiful friend gave birth to her beautiful daughter who had fallen asleep in her Mummy's tummy and would never wake up. Gen endured a horrific labour of almost 20 hours and when her baby was born she had hugged and kissed her hoping to bring her back to life but she couldn't. 

When I spoke and saw Gen I didn't know what to say I didn't have the words to help her or to make her feel better. We spoke about Imogen and she showed me pictures of her, she was beautiful. 

You sadly often here about this happening to people but you don't ever think it will effect you directly or that you will know someone it will happen to, it's only when you do that you see the devistating effect still births can have on the parents, grandparents and siblings that are left empty and numb and often have no answers as to why this has happened. 

Every day in the UK 17 babies are either stillborn or die shortly after death. I was shocked at how high this number was, especially as the UK is renound for its health care. 

Tommy's the baby charity help to fund research into still births, miscarriage, premature births and neo- natal deaths, it's also provides support for the Mummy's, Daddy's, Granny's, Grandad's, Brother's and Sister's that have been left with no baby to cuddle and love.  

No one should have to go through what my beautiful friend and her lovely family have been through, and more research needs to be done to reduce and understand the reasons why something so tragic can happen. 

I have decided to run the 2015 London Marathon in memory of Imogen and in aid of Tommy's. Please help me to raise £3000 for this hugely important charity any donations will make an enormous difference to so many families.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story,

Sharon 

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