Bereaved couple raise £9k for baby loss charities

Sadie Gartland (left) said the support provided by Sands helped "create lasting memories" of her daughter.

A couple whose daughter was stillborn have spent the last year raising thousands of pounds for the charities which supported them during their grief.

Sadie Gartland, from Northampton, was 39 weeks and four days into a healthy pregnancy when her daughter Taya was stillborn at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) in October 2024.

Alongside her husband Jacob, the couple have raised £9,000 for Sands – a charity that supports families who have experienced the death of a child.

Mr and Mrs Gartland embarked on their fundraising mission after Sands helped them "create lasting memories" with their daughter.

"It all started with a memory box which was provided by Sands, it included teddy bears ...hand and footprint kits and a digital camera so we could just really create those precious memories that will last a lifetime," Mrs Gartland said.

"That's all we got to take home with us, we didn't get to take our baby home, but we have got this amazing box full of every memory we will have with her."

The couple created an online tribute page for their daughter, Taya, where they shared their fundraising journey and messages and poems.

Mrs Gartland also joined Sands on its 'Walk 100k in March' challenge, and the couple later collaborated with another bereaved family in the town to hold a charity football fun day, which generated £4,000.

Now, the pair have started to raise money for the other charities which supported them when they felt "lost and isolated".

So far, they have raised £135 for the baby loss counselling charity Petals and £175 for Little Wings of Hope, which offers practical and emotional support to bereaved families.

Mr and Mrs Gartland received a memory box funded by Sands which came with hand and footprint kits and a digital camera

For Mrs Gartland, the counselling sessions provided by Petals helped them "connect with people that just get it".

"We found in those sessions that obviously life's just going so quickly and then you sit down in that moment for that hour, and suddenly you're saying all these things you've never said out loud to one another," she said.

"We found that really helpful because no one else can understand what you're going through as much as your partner, who's also lost their child."

A charity tombola event will be held on 30 November at Whitehills Pub in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, between 11:00 and 15:00 (GMT) for the charity.

Mr Gartland also plans to take part in the Cambridge Half Marathon in March 2026.

'Raising awareness'

The annual Baby Loss Awareness Week campaign takes place between 9-15 October and aims to bring bereaved parents and families together to remember babies who have died during pregnancy or soon after birth.

Lauren Trevillyan, from Corby, is also keen to raise awareness and said it's important to "normalise the conversation" following the death of her son.

Fourteen years ago, Ms Trevillyan became life-threateningly ill with pre-eclampsia – a condition that affects some pregnant women.

Symptoms can include high blood pressure and protein in the urine, and it can lead to serious complications if not monitored or treated.

Ms Trevillyan's son, Ollie, was born prematurely as a result, but later died at 24 weeks and six days old.

The Ribbon Remembrance display at Corby Library will run until 17 October

She told the BBC there needed to be more aftercare and support for those affected by baby loss after struggling to access care for 14 years.

"The support from Coventry hospital and the follow-up care from them was amazing, but you go back home and back into the community, and there was kind of nothing else," she said.

"About six or eight months after having Ollie, I thought I probably need to speak to someone, so I went to my GP and asked for help. I was told I would be referred to a counsellor, and 14 years later I'm still waiting for that call."

Mrs Gartland agreed that better support was needed for those affected by baby loss after relying on charities for counselling due to a lack of services.

"I think for us in Northamptonshire, we're sort of pushed out [from local NHS services]," she said.

"If it wasn't for the charities, I don't really know what would be available in all honesty."

This week, Ms Trevillyan is holding a ribbon remembrance display in Corby Library, which will run until 17 October.

Anyone affected by baby loss is invited to come and place a ribbon on the wall to "acknowledge their loss or losses".

"I started it to make my terrible situation a more positive one, and knowing there must be more families like mine who want to remember the children or child they've lost," Ms Trevillyan said.

"It's also about highlighting that it's not just the parents of the child who has died, but my parents lost their grandson and were trying to support their daughter who was ill; it wasn't just me, it was everyone."