Shropshire Star

Bereaved Telford parents go above and beyond to raise funds for a good cause

A Telford couple who suffered pregnancy heartbreak twice in less than a month have gone above and beyond to help out a charity that supports parents in situations like theirs.

Published
Chris and Katy Plant with their total raised for 4Louis

Losing their twins in short succession, Katy Plant and husband Chris decided to try and build something positive through their grief and raised £625 for 4Louis - a charity, set up by a bereaved mother, which supports parents who lose their children.

The couple, from Trench, were trying for a baby and were in fertility treatment for two years from 2015, before Katy discovered she had become pregnant naturally in June 2017.

Tragedy struck soon after however, as on July 15 Katy suffered a miscarriage.

Katy said: "This was very hard and we thought our journey was over, but we were scanned again on July 17 at seven weeks and two days to find a little heart still beating strong.

"Me and Chris just kept crying with joy. Fast forward three weeks and me and Chris booked in for an early scan to see our little bambino again, but our happiness was short-lived and the lady told us that the heart had stopped beating."

The couple then met with a specialist nurse named Claire at the early pregnancy unit at Telford Hospital.

"It was hard to take through the tears we were shedding. She was lovely and this is where we were given a box for the 4Louis charity which was full of little things so parents like ourselves don't forget.

The couple held a raffle in November for which local businesses donated prizes, and also raised money through sponsorships by forgoing alcohol and takeaway food through the whole of October.

Katy also set up a JustGiving page, and altogether £625 was raised.

Katy went on: "We made it our mission to raise £100, we thought that would be great. But then every time I logged on it was going up and up.

"I moved the target up to £200 and we ended up with three times that as well.

"Me and Chris really want to raise money for them so they can carry on helping parents through miscarriages and stillbirths."

4Louis was set up for bereaved parents by Kirsty McGurrell of Tyne and Wear in 2009 in memory of her son Louis Knight.

"As grieving angel mums we decided we wanted to do something to help make a devastating experience a little more bearable by letting families know they are not alone. We do this by providing hospitals across the UK with memory boxes, so angel parents can capture as many memories as they can," she said.

"We provide memory boxes for stillbirth, neo-natal, infant and child loss."

The specialised memory boxes contain clay kits for capturing impressions of babies' hands and feet, two teddies, one for baby and one for the family, a glass angel in a presentation box, a candle and card, a curl box for a lock of hair, an SD card, forget me not seeds and an acknowledgement of life certificate among other keepsakes and helpful items.

As well as the memory boxes and specialist equipment, 4Louis runs an online shop and frequently organises events including sponsored walks and the occasional charity ball.

For more information visit 4louis.co.uk