A fundraising walk hopes to raise the awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome after the passing of a dear friends child.

Shropshire Star

Pic in Donnington of two men about to embark on a charitable walk from Telford to The Wirral. We meet up to find out more.

Transcript

00:00So we find Robert and Sam here in Donington on a training mission.

00:03How you doing, lads? You okay?

00:05Good, good, good.

00:06So, fill us in. You're doing a bit of an epic walk, is that right?

00:09Yeah.

00:10Go on then, what's the challenge you're doing and why you're doing it?

00:12So we're walking from Telford to the Wirral over three days on the 16th of May

00:17to raise more awareness for sudden, unexplained death in children.

00:22Our friend's baby passed away, when was it?

00:2622nd of February.

00:27Yeah, she passed away.

00:28And it's my best friend, Lisa, so we're both from there in the Wirral.

00:32The Wirral, so that's why I want to walk back there.

00:34Ah, hence the Wirral as a location. It all makes sense now.

00:37So how many miles is it you've got to clock up then over the three days?

00:4064 miles.

00:41Yeah, just over.

00:42So you're hoping for weather like this, I guess?

00:44We are, yeah. So we're going to do it over three days.

00:46Yeah.

00:47Stop in Wichurch and then Wichurch to Chester.

00:50Chester to the Wirral.

00:51To Henswold, yeah.

00:52So this sudden death then, so it's literally what people have a...

00:56Generally with babies, is it, yeah?

00:58Children up to the age of 13 years of age.

01:01Oh, okay.

01:01Yeah, so it's...

01:03The government don't really fund it, so there's not a lot of...

01:07Not much information about it.

01:08About it.

01:09Yeah, so we didn't really know anything about it until it happened to our friend.

01:12And this is where a youngster appears to be fine, not really any symptoms?

01:18Yeah, no symptoms.

01:19She was a healthy little baby.

01:21Yeah.

01:22She put her to bed one night, didn't she?

01:23And then went and checked on her and then there was just, yeah.

01:27Horrific, yeah, yeah.

01:29How's your friend coping?

01:30She's struggling, but she's found strength.

01:34She's set up the GoFundMe.

01:37She wants to...

01:38All the money we raised for the GoFundMe, she wants to split over three or four charities.

01:43Okay, yeah.

01:44That are all for a similar cause, really.

01:47Yeah.

01:47Yeah, she's just turned Ophelia Wings into a non-profit charitable organisation now, so

01:54that's all gone through.

01:56And we're doing a charity gala at the Londoner in Leicester Square on the 22nd of February.

02:03February, yeah, the date Ophelia passed away on the Red Birchery, so she wants to do a gala

02:08and raise more awareness.

02:10And this is the little Ophelia on the jumper.

02:13Yeah, this is Ophelia, yeah.

02:14Cool.

02:15So you'll be sporting this on the trek then, I'll take it, won't you?

02:18So you're, as well as raising money, it's about raising that awareness that this can happen,

02:24you know, yeah.

02:25So a lot of people don't really know about it, because you get a lot of cot deaths in babies,

02:29but when they're over 12 months old, it's when it's these sudden unexplained deaths.

02:35Yeah.

02:36Yeah.

02:37Well, we wish you all the best with the event, lads, and pass on our best wishes to your friend

02:43as well.

02:43Thank you very much.

02:44Cheers, guys.

02:44Well done.

02:45Cheers, lads.

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