Warrington dad's fundraiser in honour of his baby boy Lucas

Neil Ryder’s son Lucas was born prematurely at 24 weeks on May 7, 2015.

Neil and his wife Anna, who are from Appleton, were able to spend 19 days with Lucas at Liverpool Women’s Hospital’s neonatal unit before he tragically died.

During this difficult period, the hospital’s support to Neil and Anna was invaluable.

“The nurses, the doctors, and the consultants were just amazing and we owe them so much,” Neil said.

In the years since Lucas’ death, his parents have been supported by the hospital’s Honeysuckle Bereavement Service which holds regular meetings as well as yearly memorial services during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

So this year, Neil decided to take on the London Marathon to fundraise for the hospital’s charity in a bid to thank the staff there for all of the support offered to his family.

He also wanted to raise awareness of baby loss and to honour Lucas and other children who have lost their loves.

To do this, Neil ran with Lucas’ name and the names of 31 other children on the back of his vest during the race.

And despite experiencing cramp two thirds of the way through the race, having the children in his thoughts was what kept him going, as well as having the support from everyone around him.

“The atmosphere on the day was great, it was so busy and the streets were lined all of the way around,” said Neil, who has two daughters Georgina and Matilda.

Credit: Sportograf.com

“Finishing the marathon was an amazing feeling, it was so emotional.”

Neil’s goal was to raise £1,900 which equates to £100 for every day of Lucas’ life.

But he has exceeded this target, raising more than £2,600.

And his work isn’t finished here as he plans to compete in Bolton’s Ironman event next month, as well as a HYROX competition later in the year.

To donate to Neil's incredible efforts, visit here.