In June 2024, sadly myself and my partner had the heartbreaking news at just over 39 weeks pregnant and a straight forward pregnancy, that our baby had no heartbeat

I was induced into labour 48 hours later and 3 days before our due date, after a 16 hour labour we met our baby for the first time, and found out we’d had a little boy who we named Stanley.

The 2 midwives who supported us at Jessops to deliver Stanley were the most incredible women we have probably ever met. The most kind, compassionate and caring people who made us feel safe and loved under the most awful circumstances.

We loved every minute of the time we got to spend with our baby boy and is time that we will both cherish forever. This is all down to the bereavement staff at Jessops Hospital giving us space to be a family until we said our final goodbye.

Although I have always been an active person, and remained active throughout my pregnancy; having to recover physically from a full term pregnancy and a natural birth, whilst navigating the grief of not having my baby boy with me has been horrendous. I have needed a lot of support and encouragement to find my confidence with re-engaging with physical activity.

During this time my brother had the wild idea of me and him training to cycle across the country on a tandem….and he actually went through with buying a tandem!!

I am not a cyclist, have no desire to ever be a cyclist and have not ridden a bike for possibly 25 years, so this most definitely has been and will be a big challenge for me!!

Our training was put on hold for a couple of months, as in November 2024 I was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer, and 2025 started with a round of radiation.

An eye tumour and cancer diagnosis won't stop us though, and in Stanley’s memory we will be cycling (on a tandem bicycle) 180 miles across the country with the aim of raising money for Tommy’s charity who fund research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.

Tommy’s charity are also funding specialist Rainbow clinics across the UK for bereaved parents, for them to have access to enhanced antenatal care for any subsequent pregnancies so they can receive personalised care and support, which we think is absolutely wonderful.

We would love to turn our heartbreaking experience into something positive, and all of the love and positive energy we can’t give our baby we want to give to funding vital research to support other families to be able to go home with their baby, to start their journey how we’d hoped we would be starting ours as parents.

If by raising funds we can support research that hopefully stops other families suffering the agony we have suffered, then that will be our Stanley’s legacy and gives us comfort that this will be his little contribution to the world in saving the life of other babies.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story and if you are able to donate to this special charity then thank you again as it means the world to us

Abigail & Joe x