In memory of his daughter, who passed away two weeks before her due date, a father completed a 206-mile (331km) walk in 59 hours to raise awareness about stillborn babies.
On Monday, Ben Moorhouse from Halifax successfully finished the non-stop trek from Edinburgh to Manchester.
On 26 October 2018, Mr. Moorhouse and his partner, Gaynor Thompson, suffered the loss of their first child, Kallipateira, who was stillborn.
They are raising funds for Manchester’s Rainbow Clinic, a facility that provides support for pregnancies following the loss of a baby.
Starting his journey at 07:00 BST on Saturday from Edinburgh Castle, the 40-year-old completed his trek at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester at approximately 18:30 on Monday.
In a show of pride for his achievement, he said, “I’m extremely proud of this accomplishment. Enduring constant torrential downpours and flash floods in the Scottish mountains made it an unbelievable challenge.”
“Every step of the journey was profoundly emotional. Our daughter is the primary driving force behind my willingness to push my body and mind to their limits in order to support other parents.”
“This extreme challenge was incredibly brutal, and tackling it non-stop, without sleep or overnight stays, made it exceptionally difficult.”
Mr. Moorhouse reported that he successfully raised £4,200 for the Rainbow Clinic.
He commended the clinic for its dedication to researching the causes and prevention of miscarriage, stillbirth, and premature birth. The clinic provided vital support to his partner during her pregnancy and the birth of their son, Apollon, in May 2020, particularly due to a rare placenta problem.
“The team in Manchester is doing an exceptional job in stillbirth research, saving countless babies’ lives. Without them, our son would not have survived, and that is an undeniable fact.”
“I’ve been involved in fundraising for several years now. I firmly believe that stillbirths are the world’s biggest taboo.”
“Although there is Baby Loss Awareness Week, there still aren’t enough people discussing the issues surrounding stillbirths in the UK and worldwide. It is crucial that we persistently raise awareness, and through our efforts, we hope to contribute to saving babies’ lives.”
Source : bbc.com
