On 10th August 2016, our son, Harrison, was stillborn. A few days prior, a scan had shown he had died at around 36 weeks of pregnancy. Our world changed forever. The hospital experience was a tough one. Unfortunately, we were left on the labour ward whilst Laura experienced some complications.

Towards the end of Laura’s treatment, we were grateful for the use of the Serenity Suite at the QMC, not knowing at that time about Forever Stars. The suite gave the opportunity to spend time with our son in a non-medicalised environment, to have a naming ceremony and to allow our 21-month-old daughter and closest family to visit away from the labour ward and the cries of babies being born.

In the time that followed, we recognised that part of our survival would be raising awareness and funds for charity, helping others going through this horrific experience. Once we took some time to heal, we decided we wanted to pay Forever Stars back for the charity’s kindness. What followed blew us away. Aided by friends, family and the Long Eaton Rugby community, we set out to raise £1000 by tackling local mud runs, Tough Mudders, Three Peaks challenges and Talk About Them coffee mornings. Amazingly, together we raised over £20k, something we’re thankful for and very proud of.

Sometime later, we were asked if we could join the team permanently, and we accepted. We were made to feel very welcome from the start and now have friends for life. Laura’s role as a local GP is to offer her advice from a medical standpoint and also make sure we all take health and safety seriously. Dan’s role predominantly is to look after the Serenity Garden with Martyn, something he really enjoys. We love being part of the team at Forever Stars.