A Run to Remember: Bamber Bridge athlete takes on Hadrian’s Wall to support parents facing baby loss

This heartfelt mission aims to raise vital funds and awareness for ARC (Antenatal Results and Choices), a charity that provides essential support to parents coping with pregnancy loss and grief.

Steven is undertaking the run with the kind permission and support of Leo’s mother, Jen Haffner, whose experience with ARC has been central to his motivation. ARC supported Jen during one of the most devastating periods of her life, following the loss of her son Leo at Christmas time.

Speaking about the charity’s impact, Jen said:

“It's hard to put into words how much ARC saved me after losing my son, Leo at 21+3 weeks of pregnancy due to TFMR.

Due to losing Leo at Christmas time, I realised a lot of charities and support services were closed or only open for limited hours, and I so badly needed support.

I reached out to ARC and luckily the Director, Jane, emailed me and was so helpful and empathetic. She booked me in for a call and signposted me to lots of other sources of support, including their online forum, and later sourced me therapy via their Support Co-ordinator, Sally.

Jane continued to regularly support me through many dark days, guiding me out of panic attacks, sometimes late in the evening via phone calls, emails and texts.

I don’t know what I would have done without ARC in those early days, and two years on, I still turn to them for grief support.”

Steven says the run is about more than physical endurance; it is about ensuring that parents who experience unimaginable loss are not left without support when they need it most.

“No parent should ever have to lose a child,” Steven said.

“ARC provides compassionate, often unseen support at the darkest moments, and I’m honoured to run in Leo’s memory to help ensure they can continue this vital work now and in the future.”

Beyond the challenge, Steven is known as co-host of the popular Lancashire podcast “The Brig Boys”, where he and his friends share stories and build community- a spirit he now brings to this cause.

Baby loss remains a heartbreaking and often overlooked issue. In 2023, the UK recorded 2,612 stillbirths (4.0 per 1,000 births), and miscarriage is estimated to affect over 110,000 pregnancies each year. In Lancashire, the infant mortality rate is 4.2 per 1,000 live births, with 148 infant deaths registered between 2022 and 2024. These numbers represent hundreds of families facing unimaginable grief, underscoring the vital role of charities like ARC in providing support when it’s needed most.

Steven is fundraising via JustGiving, where all donations go directly to ARC in a secure and efficient way, maximising the impact for the charity.

Members of the public are encouraged to donate and share Steven’s fundraising effort to help raise awareness of ARC and the crucial support they provide to grieving parents.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/steven-willetts-4?ut

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