A Penrith couple have been on a courageous journey following the still birth of their son Toby Lee Humphrey, in February 2018 and have donated over ten thousand pound to the Maternity Unit at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
Following the devastating news about Toby, his parents Julie Purdham and Simon Humphrey decided to raise funds in his memory and raise awareness of still birth.
Mum Julie said “We wanted to thank the Cumberland Infirmary for their fantastic support especially Andrea Ewing, specialist bereavement midwife. We realise that still birth is a taboo subject and doesn’t get enough recognition or funding. It is a great service but needs more support.”
To raise money the couple and over 30 of their family, friends and colleagues took on the challenge of climbing Scafell Pike and Great Gable mountains in the same day. Despite foggy conditions on the mountains and limited fitness skills their mission was bravely accomplished. They raised in the region of five thousand pounds. Simon is a Senior Project Manager working for Wates Construction. The funds Simon and Julie raised were then matched by Wates Giving; Wates Giving is part of the Wates Group and is led by the Wates family who created the Wates Family Enterprise Trust to support good causes, bringing the total to more than ten thousand pounds.
The couple were overwhelmed by the support that they were given and the amount of people who joined the challenge on the day.
Andrea Ewing, specialist bereavement midwife, said “Julie and Simon are very brave to do this after losing a baby. We will be deciding together how to use the funds raised in Toby’s memory to support other parents who have had similar experiences. The maternity unit at the Cumberland Infirmary, which includes the Snowdrop Suite, a place where parents can stay overnight following the loss of their baby, is extremely grateful for this very kind donation.”
