Father took on challenge ‘for every much-loved baby sadly not here today’ following loss of ‘beautiful baby girl’
A father took on a challenge “for every much-loved baby sadly not here today” following the loss of his “beautiful baby girl” in August 2023.
Con Haynes fundraised for Sands after his daughter Rosie-Ann was prematurely delivered at 23 weeks and was born sleeping.
Sands give a personal touch to all who have gone through this devastating time, including Con and his partner Chloe, and he praised the great work of the selfless organisers who ensure support is available to the families who need it.
To give back, Con hiked 27.2 miles carrying a 25kg backpack across rugged terrain. As a former soldier, he always went the extra mile for King and country, and this time he did an extra mile on top of a marathon for “our much loved Rosie”.
Con said: “Every baby should have the best chance in life and no mum or dad should ever be leaving a hospital with an empty car seat. Our beautiful angel princess Rosie-Ann Haynes will always be a part of our families’ lives.”
Rosie-Ann was born sleeping on August 22, 2023 and Con says it has impacted their family “massively”. He and Chloe have since had a son, who was born five months ago, and what they bought for Rosie-Ann remains a constant reminder of their experience.
What makes it more difficult is that following aftercare investigations and tests, it came back that there was no plausible reason as to why it happened.
“I’d never heard of Sands before,” said Con. “They bought packages and a presentation box to the hospital, to take moulds of the baby’s feet and hands. This was free through donations and aftercare with counsellors too.
“They made sure we didn’t feel alone. At the hospital, it’s like saying thank you very much and you’re out the door. This all happened in Nottingham as they couldn’t cater for the baby in Northampton. Sands chipped in and helped, and I wanted to return the favour.”
Having decided to do the challenge with only a week to go, Con exceeded his target of £100 and even did an extra couple of miles for his partner and son. He completed the 28.63 miles on April 8, which took him just over nine-and-a-half hours.
“People forget how lucky they are and that things can change so quickly,” said Con. “Everything was perfect and they monitored the heart beat up until it happened. There were no abnormalities and our hopes then came crashing down.”
The amount that Con has raised for Sands will ensure that five nurses get the training they require to support families like this, and the father is already planning his next fundraisers throughout 2026.