In 2021, just weeks before our wedding my wife and I lost our baby. The impact was overwhelming. Navigating through our loss was an incredibly tough and isolating experience. And often it felt like we were trying to find our way through it, on our own.

Through our hospital, we were grateful to have the baby loss charity, Petals, to support us. Since 2011, Petals has provided counselling services to bereaved parents, with 13 partnerships with NHS trusts and covering 20 maternity hospitals across the country. Through their talented counsellors and broader support network, the work they do is truly transformative. For us, they listened, gave space, and brought light to some very dark days.

Losing a child is a traumatic, life-changing event that can happen to anyone. We hope that it’s something that most people will never experience. Unfortunately, the likelihood is that it has touched many people’s lives, with 1 in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage and 1 in 200 ending in stillbirth in the UK.

I am so honoured to be able to raise money for Petals by running the Royal Parks Half Marathon this October. Demand for their services is at an all-time high; last year they had to turn away 738 people as they simply did not have the funds to support them.

We benefited greatly from Petals and would like others to have the same support. Any donations, small or large, will make a huge difference to the impact that this organisation can have delivering vital counselling to bereaved parents.

Thank you,

Shani