Father’s charity cycle in memory of baby Freya
A bereaved Hamilton dad will brave the 320-mile Lang Way Doon cycle this Saturday in memory of his baby daughter.
David Shields and six friends aim to complete the challenge in 24 hours to raise funds for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (better known as CHAS) and Simpsons Memory Box Appeal (SIMBA).
The team have already smashed their £500 target and are currently at £5000 and counting, which will be split between the two charities who both supported David’s family last year, at the worst time imaginable.
For when David and his wife Kathleen attended a routine scan during their first trimester, the midwife found a high level of fluid on baby Freya’s neck. One week later, following non-invasive genetic testing, the family were faced with a Trisomy 13 diagnosis – a fatal chromosome condition also known as Patau Syndrome.
Following the diagnosis, David and Kathleen were introduced to CHAS, which offers respite, end-of-life care and bereavement support to families with children who have life-shortening conditions. The family were referred to Robin House in Balloch, and following Freya’s birth and short life of 83 minutes, the family chose to go to the hospice for bereavement support.
David said: “The hospice gave us a safe space for five days before Freya’s funeral, where nothing was too much and where Freya could be our daughter, not a baby who died.
“When we went for a rest, we were assured that the nurses would ‘check on her’ for us, and her room was always beautifully lit, surrounded by our personal things and felt like a little home for a few days. We had time alone, together, crying, laughing, despairing and rejoicing at what we had and we had lost, but there was always someone willing to take on those moments with us, and treat us like a member of a big family.
“Freya’s brother Finn stayed with us at the hospice and we were able to make memories together as a family of four. That support continued in the months and the year since – we had regular phone calls from our key worker, we were invited to a remembering day and we went back to the hospice for Freya’s first birthday to create a memory page in the memory book.
“The hospice, the hospital staff and the work SIMBA did for us turned 83 short minutes of life into a permanent life in our family, and we can never repay that.”
The group of seven will begin their journey in Tongue, Lairg, and will make their way over the Cairngorms, then onto Perth, making a brief stop at Rachel House children’s hospice (part of the CHAS family) in Kinross, where they will be met by some of the families it cares for to cheer them on, and ending in the border town of Coldstream.
To help the team complete the cycle – which has only been successfully completed by 20 other cyclists – they will be joined by a further supportive group of cyclists at Rachel House for the final 75 miles.
Samantha Riley, senior community fundraiser, said: “We wish David and his friends the best of luck on The Lang Way Doon and want to thank them for their incredible support and dedication.
“Three children, like Freya, die every week in Scotland of a lifeshortening condition in Scotland. At CHAS we’re determined to be there for every one of them and offer our support. Amazing supporters like David and his team help us on this mission by raising much needed funds and awareness.”
To donate to David’s Lang Way Doon challenge, visit https:// uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ thelangwaydoon2019