The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A Spalding man has walked 310,000 steps to raise money for a charity that supported him and his wife when they lost their baby.
Ryan and Kirsty McClenaghan lost their baby boy Rory in August at 27 weeks and six days – 13 weeks before he was due.
Since their loss, the couple, who married on May 22 after having to postpone their wedding due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have received support from charity Sands which has provided them with a helpline and tools to help them cope.
Ryan (33) wanted to give something back so he decided to take on the walk throughout October to raise money.
He set a target of £250, but raised an amazing £1,022.
Kirsty (31) said: “Sands is a charity very close to our hearts. We lost our baby boy Rory in August at 27 weeks and 6 days following premature rupture of membranes two weeks earlier.
“It is important for us to raise awareness and reassure couples and families that they are absolutely not alone as baby loss can feel isolating and isn’t spoken about as much as it should.
“The UK has one of the highest rates of perinatal death in the developed world.
“The shocking reality is that, in spite of medical advances, 14 of every 1,000 babies are stillborn or die under one month old and one in four pregnancies are lost through miscarriage or stillbirth.
“Sands offers bereavement support, promotes and funds research that could help to reduce the loss of babies lives.”
If you would like to donate money for this charity please visit the Sands charity Facebook page.
