Couple's tragic loss inspired father's fundraising run

BEREAVED father and his supportive cousin who pulled out all the stops to complete a triple medal running challenge have raised over £5,000 for Birmingham Women's Hospital Charity, in memory of his daughter, who was sadly stillborn last year.

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James Lindop, from Newcastle-Under-Lyme, and his cousin, Matthew Lindop, took on the Chester Triple Medal challenge, both completing a 10k race, a half marathon and then a full marathon to raise funds for the maternity unit and bereavement team at Birmingham Women's Hospital, where James and his wife, Stellina, were cared for after losing their daughter, Faith.

At 32 weeks pregnant, Stellina visited her local hospital after noticing her baby wasn't moving as much as usual. After a period of monitoring suggested everything was fine, Stellina was discharged and as a precaution she was invited back the next day for a scan. But that was the moment their lives changed forever, as the sonographer noticed a multitude of complications including developmental abnormalities and, seeking a second and third opinion, referred Stellina and James to Birmingham Women's Hospital.

The next few weeks felt like a lifetime as Stellina underwent further ultrasounds, an MRI scan and meetings with the specialist fetal medicine team. Unfortunately, the prognosis for Stellina and James' baby was devastating.