A couple from Preston have raised £1000 after walking 10km in memory of their baby son.

Ritchie and Jess Hall raised the money for the charity that supported them when their son Luca Glen was stillborn.

They completed the fundraising walk for The Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS).

The Sands Ribbon Run was organised by the charity as part of national Baby Loss Awareness Week.

The couple suffered heartbreak this summer when Luca Glen was stillborn and they took part in the charity fundraiser to help other parents going through the trauma of losing a baby.

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Ritchie, who is an administrator with Preston based architecture, design and masterplanning firm FWP, said: “We are blown away that we managed to raise almost £1,000. We are truly grateful for each and every person’s extremely generous donations and constant supportive words, it really does mean the world to us both and we want to say thank you to everyone.

“SANDS was there for us in our darkest time of need, so to know that we are able to help other bereaved parents does provide us with comfort in all of this.”

While Jess said: “Losing a child is a pain I can’t begin to describe. The charity provides support and funds research and we took on the walk to help them to continue to build a world where more babies survive and more families receive the happy ending they deserve.

“Our thanks go to everyone who has sponsored us for helping SANDS break the silence around baby loss and to continue to save babies’ lives.”

Read more: Preston friends walk Cumbria Way in memory of Sam Hawarden

The money the couple have raised is enough to fund any of the following:

•40 memory boxes enabling bereaved parents to make precious memories with their babies

•Specially trained bereavement support services team to answer 22 calls from parents reaching out after the death of their baby

•Five full days of bereavement care training for healthcare professionals and NHS staff

•Keep a local peer support group with specially trained befrienders running for five months

If you would like to donate to Ritchie and Jess’s fundraising efforts visit the SANDS website.

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