Harpenden man’s 25K run in memory of stillborn son

A Harpenden man is gearing up to run 25km to fundraise for charity in memory of his second son who was stillborn.

Peter Northcroft has embarked on the daunting challenge to raise money for Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity that provides support to bereaved parents and families, after the death of his son George in October 2014.

Peter will take part in the Grand Union Challenge that will see him run 25km between Watford and Tring on Saturday, June 27.

He said: “The impact of little George’s death on my family has been profound; for Georgina, my wife, Henry, my son, and I, life-changing.

“As the trauma gradually passes and we learn to cope with a seemingly irreplaceable emptiness in our hearts, I wanted to do something in memory of my son and to raise awareness about stillbirth.

“No-one would wish to discuss stillbirth over a pint in the pub, understandably so. It’s almost a taboo subject but I think it’s important to get people talking about it.

“The point of the run is really for us as a family to do something positive to remember baby George and also to raise awareness about the work Sands does and stillbirth in general.

“It is a massive trauma to experience and most people don’t really realise how deep the impact is on the mother, the father, and close family.”

Within just a week of launching his JustGiving page Peter, a former rugby player, had exceeded his target of £3,000.

The total now stands at £6,038.32.

Peter added: “I’ve just started training and it’s good to get outside.

“I hadn’t done anything since the day of my son’s funeral and 25km seems quite daunting in terms of building up my mileage.

“Because we’ve moved, I’m exploring new routes and trails in my training. It’s just lovely up here.”

To sponsor Peter, visit www.justgiving.com/babygeorgenorthcroft and to find out more about Sands, visit www.uk-sands.org.