Next month, grandmother Jane Brown is taking on one of the biggest running challenges in memory of her grandson Hugo, almost a year to the day since he was born sleeping.
On Sunday, 26 April 2026, 54-year-old Jane will join the estimated 50,000 runners in the London Marathon, one of the world’s largest fundraising events, and her first ever marathon race.
As well as representing her debut into marathon running, Jane has set herself the additional challenge of raising £6,000 for Nottingham baby loss and bereavement support charity Forever Stars, which funded the Serenity Suite used by her daughter and partner at Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) Nottingham.
Jane explains: “My daughter Mary and fiancée Aidan were excited for the arrival of their baby boy. Instead, their beautiful son, Hugo William Blake, was born sleeping on 19 April 2025.
“This was the first time we became aware of Forever Stars and its support and services, and the charity gave Mary and Aidan, and the wider family too, so much support at the most unimaginably painful time in our lives.
“Forever Stars helped give Mary and Aidan precious time with Hugo before they had to say goodbye, especially because of the charity’s funded Serenity Suite at QMC’s maternity unit, and here they had some precious quiet time together with Hugo. The Serenity Suite has a cold cot, which meant we were all able to spend time with Hugo. The charity’s support has continued since.
“Despite their own grief, Mary and Aidan went on to raise over £5,000 for Forever Stars which was their way of helping other parents facing the same loss and grief they have faced, and give them the treasured special time with their babies.
“I want to add to that incredible fundraising total, and by running the London Marathon, I would love to raise £6,000 for Forever Stars.”
Jane says her entry into this year’s London Marathon came as a complete surprise: “My daughter Katie entered me into the ballot after I had unsuccessfully tried a few times before. It seems like fate intervened when I was finally accepted for the 2026 event, so I can take part this year and run in Hugo’s memory and honour.
“Every step will be for Hugo.
“The marathon will be an emotional, poignant time for us all – Hugo was born asleep on 19 April 2025, and the marathon takes place on 26 April this year, so I’ll be running the race a little over a year after,” she says. “Running with me will be my small blue teddy, named ‘Mini Hugo’ in honour of my grandson.”
Forever Stars is a Nottingham-based charity dedicated to supporting bereaved families and raising awareness of baby loss. It provides and maintains two bereavement suites in Nottingham – including the one at QMC, as well as a baby loss remembrance garden in Highfields Park, a support centre in Nottingham, and helps families throughout their baby loss journey by supporting their mental health and well-being.
The charity was founded by Michelle and Richard Daniels in May 2014 following the stillbirth of their daughter Emily on 19 December 2013. Today, it is run entirely by volunteers and relies on donations and fundraising by supporters that it uses to fund various projects and campaigns, as well as the ongoing maintenance of the Serenity Suite at QMC and the one at the Nottingham City Hospital.
Although Emily was stillborn, Michelle and Richard had to return to the labour ward where they were surrounded by the sounds of childbirth, families celebrating and of course the sound of healthy babies. Showing immense strength, they decided to fundraise in the name of their daughter to facilitate the building and equipping of bereavement suites and other support material and facilities of future bereaved parents in and around Nottingham.
Richard says: “ We’re incredibly honoured that Jane has chosen to represent Forever Stars at this year’s London Marathon. Jane became aware of our services following the loss of Hugo last year when Forever Stars was able to provide a Serenity Suite at QMC, which allowed the family to spend precious time together. By taking on this extraordinary marathon challenge, Jane hopes to raise funds so that other families can receive the same support during the most difficult of times. We are so proud of Jane, and grateful for her strength and generosity.”
The 26.2-mile London Marathon road race features a flat, central London course passing iconic landmarks like Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace. Jane will be cheered on at various locations along the route by her husband Andy, her daughters and their partners, and her mum and dad. To find out more about Jane’s Fundraiser and donate, visit her JustGiving page.
Over the last 11 years, Forever Stars has raised more than £900,000. Among the many projects funded by the charity’s fundraising is a bereavement ‘Serenity Suite’ at each of the QMC and Nottingham City hospitals, and the creation of a baby remembrance Serenity Garden in Highfields Park, Nottingham, that is maintained by the charity’s army of volunteers. The charity was awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2025, the highest award a local voluntary group can receive in the UK and is equivalent to an MBE.
