Edinburgh man runs 215km for baby loss charity in memory of son

Ian Greenhill has raised almost £8,000.

An Edinburgh man has raised £8,000 for a local baby loss charity after running 215km in memory of his son.

Ian Greenhill, 31, ran 21.5km every day for ten days, completing his challenge on Monday.

He has raised over £7,500 for baby loss charity Held in our Hearts, which supported him and his wife Ashley through the loss of their son Reuben around this time last year.

Ian Greenhill with wife Ashley

Mr Greenhill chose his fundraising challenge as Reuben was born at 21 weeks and five days.

"The run was pretty tough at the start but my times got faster and faster as I went on. Running for my son has spurred me on, and it’s not been as hard as I thought it would be,” said Mr Greenhill, founder of creative agency Studio Something.

"I’ve been blown away by the support. As well as that during the challenge a lot of people have got in touch with me privately to say they’ve had a similar experience, so it’s a way of raising awareness,” he added.

Ian Greenhill ran 215km in 10 days.

Mr Greenhill said he and his wife had a feeling of loneliness last year when they went through the loss of Reuben, and that Held in our Hearts, formerly SANDS Lothian, provided support and introduced them to others who had had similar experiences.

"When you lose a child in the way we did, it is often hard for people to understand or comprehend,” he said.

"The charity gave us counselling from people who had been through similar experiences and helped integrate us into support groups who showed that we weren't alone.

"After this, we weren't ashamed to say our son's name anymore and we were/are proud of Reuben and the profound effect he has had on our life.”

Mr Greenhill running with a friend.

Nicola Welsh, CEO of Held in our Hearts, said: “We truly cannot thank Iain enough for raising such an amazing amount of money for our work. His challenge is such a touching tribute to the memory of his precious son Reuben.

"It has also been so heart-warming to see how much sharing his story has moved people through the huge level of support for his fundraising. In the current climate, like many other charities, we have seen a large decrease in our fundraising income, so we are even more grateful for incredible individuals like Iain to choose to support us in this way.

“In a recent survey we did, 67% of families stated the lockdown has had a big impact on the care they have received.

"As an organisation, we are really only beginning to see the levels of trauma that families have experienced through lockdown and bereavement support for families is never more needed.

"We want to do all we can to support them and ensure that they are never alone and fundraisers like Ian’s can help ensure we continue to be there for families today and in the future.”

Mr Greenhill’s fundraising page can be found here.

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