When you go through something incredibly sad and painful in life, what you need most is support, empathy, and guidance.

Unfortunately, my wife and I have experienced this twice. For two different reasons, we were denied the dream and joy of having our own family. It feels like two pieces of your soul are lost forever, yet the memories of those moments stay with you.

During both experiences, the care we received from the Early Pregnancy Unit at UHD was outstanding. Their professionalism, compassion, and empathy made an unbearable situation just a little more manageable.

These were the hardest and most challenging times of our lives. So I’ve decided to take on a challenge of my own: running the Bournemouth Half Marathon.

I’m doing this with the support of my wife, friends, family, and colleagues, and I’m raising money for the Early Pregnancy Unit as a way of saying thank you—for what they did for us, and for what they continue to do for so many others.

What we went through is far more common than people realise.

To anyone struggling to build a family: you are not alone.