Dad of stillborn baby girl to walk Halifax hill 50 times on Baby Loss Awareness Week

Baby Loss Awareness Week runs from October 9 to 15 and is a special time for the baby loss community to come together in remembrance of all the much-loved babies who have died while raising awareness of the thousands of families affected by loss each year.

In October 2018, Ben and partner Gaynor’s daughter Kallipateira was stillborn at 37 weeks of pregnancy in Calderdale and then the Halifax couple experienced a miscarriage in May 2019 at nine weeks of pregnancy. Kallipateira’s death was preventable.

Ben and Gaynor launched their own charity, The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation, to help save babies’ lives through research and support other parents who have experienced the death of a baby.

On May 23, 2020, Gaynor gave birth to their rainbow baby boy Apollon was cared for by Professor Alexander Heazell of the Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic and the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester, who are the main beneficiary of the Foundation.

This summer Ben has completed two summer extreme challenges in honor of Kallipateira and to raise vital funds for Professor Heazell and his team – he walked 110 miles non-stop from Wainhouse Tower in Halifax to Blackpool then to St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester and then travelled to the Greek island of Rhodes and made history as the first person to walk the 300 steps of Tsambika Monastery, a total of 100 times in 15 hours.

In recent years Ben has taken on events at Shibden Wall and Trooper Lane,but on October 12 he will be taking on Ploughcroft Lane in Halifax a total of 50 times.

Ben said: "On October 26, Kallipateira will be six years old and the month of October is the most difficult time of the year for myself and Gaynor.

"The month of October brings dates that we will never forget. Dates that Kallipateira could have been brought into this world alive and dates that we were told the most devasting news any parent can be told.

"You adapt to a new life, and you are never the same person as before. It is coming up to six years and the pain and devastation is always there.

"I will continue to make Kallipateira proud and ensure she did not die for nothing.

"I spent my final weeks of training before my Tsambika Monastery extreme challenge on Ploughcroft Lane, so it feels right to go back there to do this special one day event.

“Every day babies are stillborn that should be alive. These are preventable deaths, and no family should have to suffer this devastation and pain.

"These preventable deaths should not be just accepted.”

With the support of Calderdale Council, the Foundation will be lighting up Wainhouse Tower in pink and blue during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

They will also be putting on a special remembrance service at Halifax Minster on Friday October 11 at 7pm. All are welcome.

Ben can be supported for his Baby Loss Awareness Week fundraiser at www.justgiving.com/page/blaw2024.