Grieving dad runs to help
Praise for help from charity
AN INSPIRED father will take on a 10-mile run for the charity that gave him and his wife a ‘glimmer of comfort’ on the day their newborn baby died.
Havant dad-of-two Shaun Hoare will join thousands of others when he gets set for the Great South Run in Portsmouth on October 20.
The 31-year-old from Havant and his wife, Vicky, tragically lost their baby son Kyle after complications during his birth at Queen Alexandra Hospital on December 22, 2017.
But as they sat numb in ‘disbelief ’ they were handed a package put together by Sands – which went on to have a lasting effect on their ability to deal with their grief.
‘We went to the bereavement area with our family and just could not cope,’ Shaun said.
‘Then a nurse came in with a memory box full of great advice and nice things to remember Kyle by.
‘In a time of not being able to think clearly this helped ground us to some degree.
‘Sands are a great charity that not only provide support and healing, but are also working to reduce miscarriage and neonatal deaths.
‘We want to support this important work in memory of our baby boy Kyle.’
Inside the box was the hat Kyle wore when he was born, as well as teddy bears and books for Shaun and Vicky's two sons, Shauny and Alex, who are now six and eight.
Shaun hopes if he hits his fundraising target of £200 more memory boxes can be put together for families going through the same tragedy his had to 15 months ago.
And thanks to support from his pals at the Havant running group Victory Athletic Club, he is already confident he can ace the physical challenge before him later this year.
‘I was very worried when I signed up for the Great South Run but now I’ve joined the running club I’m confidently doing 10 miles,' he said.
‘They have helped with training greatly and are very inspiring.’
THE loss of a child is an experience that no-one should ever have to go through. It is a traumatic, heartbreaking event that will test even the strongest and most loving of families. Even in the most medically advanced country on Earth it would be impossible to reduce the newborn mortality rate to zero – but that is no comfort for those that have to live through it.
However, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (Sands) is doing what it can to reduce miscarriage and neonatal deaths. And it also provides support for those whose baby doesn’t make it.
It is testament to the work that they do that Shaun Hoare will be lining up on October 20 to take part in the Great South Run and raising money for Sands.
Fifteen months ago Shaun and his wife Vicky lost their son Kyle after complications during his birth. They credit being given a ‘memory box’, prepared by Sands with helping them through this awful time. It wasn’t just Kyle’s parents they helped either – Sands also made sure there was something for the couple’s other two sons, now six and eight.
And now they want to do something positive to pass that chance of support on to others who find themselves in the same tragic position.
Not a runner by nature, Shaun has worked hard to prepare himself for the 10-mile run.
He has given himself a modest goal of £200 and we hope he smashes it.
Shaun will be joined by thousands of others on the big day, raising huge amounts of money for a wide range of charities.
Yes, we can thrill to the elite runners as they charge around the course.
But it is those doing it for charity – many who are running for the first time, or who have never run this far – who provide the heart of the event.
This is why so many more of us will be there to cheer them on as they try to reach their goals.