Halifax couple Ben Moorhouse and Gaynor Thompson celebrate birth of their son

Ben and Gaynor’s daughter Kallipateira was tragically stillborn in October 2018 at Calderdale Royal Hospital just two weeks from her due date.

This left them devastated, but they channeled their grief into raising thousands of pounds towards a new maternity bereavement suite at Calderdale Royal to give parents a much needed place to spends time with their babies.

For their incredible efforts during difficult times they won the Calderdale Community Spirit award for Best Fundraising Campaign and they are also nominated in three categories for the Yorkshire Choice Awards.

Ben and Gaynor have also set up their own charity, The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation, to continue the awareness of Stillbirth, supporting parents and helping save babies’ lives by supporting research.

Apollon Alexandros Moorhouse was born on May 23 in Manchester, weighing four pounds, eight ounces, born three weeks early at 35 weeks.

Ben said: “We made a promise to Kallipateira while holding her in our arms that we would do her proud by helping others and making a difference in her honour and by hopefully one day giving Kallipateira a brother or sister.

“Apollon is an original name for the Greek God that means god of the rainbow, light, medicine, prophecy and music.

“His middle name Alexandros is in honour of Professor Alexander Heazell who cared for us and Apollon at the Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic in Manchester. In Greek this name means protector of men.”

Ben said the couple did not tell anyone of the pregnancy, not even family members.

“We decided to tell nobody apart from work managers for our own wellbeing.

“We did not want people saying congratulations or asking us how things were, or later in the pregnancy saying there is not long to go.

“Lockdown helped us a great deal to help keep the pregnancy under wraps especially in the last trimester. We know how cruel life can be.”

Ben and Gaynor decided they needed specialist care for a future pregnancy and were looked after by Professor Heazell at the Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic in Manchester.

Ben said: “For the pregnancy to be successful we knew we must be looked after by Professor Alexander Heazell and the clinic.

“They are world class in their pioneering research to help save babies’ lives.

“The level of care was outstanding and they treat us as parents and not just another person walking through the doors.

“The Rainbow and Velocity teams in Manchester will always be a part of our and Apollon’s life.”

The new family arrival will bring much joy for the couple and their families, but Ben said it will not all be the happiness and smiles that people may expect.

“Apollon will bring us much joy in his own individual way but this does not mean that everything is now OK.

“Our grief and pain for Kallipateira will always be there but Apollon will help us and we look forward to him learning all about his big sister.”

For more information on the couple’s foundation, see www.kmfoundation.co.uk.