Woman to run Holy Island marathon in memory of stillborn daughter

On August 2, Rebecca Gillon will join Olly Brown for part of the ‘Marathons for Miracles’ challenge to raise money for charity Tommy's.

After he and his wife experienced a traumatic miscarriage, Olly decided to run a marathon in one of the 39 historic counties of England alongside someone affected by pregnancy or baby loss.

Everyone who runs alongside him shares their own experience in an interview for Olly's podcast, which shares the name of the challenge.

Rebecca is taking on the Run the Raid trail marathon across Holy Island in memory of her daughter Wren, who was stillborn at full term in February 2024.

Tommy's supported Rebecca and her husband through their grief, and again through her pregnancy with their baby, Lark, at the Tommy's Rainbow Clinic in Manchester.

"Losing Wren was the hardest thing we have ever faced,” Rebecca said. “Tommy's were there for us at our lowest, and again when we were expecting Lark.

"Running this marathon is my way of thanking them, and of making sure Wren is part of something that helps other families.”

Olly and his wife Amy were thrilled to find out they were expecting their first baby in 2022.

A scan at 12 weeks showed all was well, but within a week, they were told they were having a miscarriage.

"It made us a lot more aware of miscarriage in general,” Olly said. "Once people know you've been through it, they start talking about their own losses. You realise it's happened to so many people but it's just not spoken about."

A few months after their loss, Amy became pregnant again and the couple welcomed their daughter in September 2023.

Olly came up with the challenge as a way of highlighting the impact of pregnancy and baby loss on so many lives.

"Pregnancy and fertility is far from straightforward for many people, with often tragic and life-altering consequences,” Olly added.

"Travelling to each county and running with someone different each week allows us to share a number of stories, demonstrating the wide range of experiences, how people have coped with them and the support that is available.”

To support Rebecca's run, visit justgiving.com/page/rebecca-gillon.