We want to say a special thank you to Sarah who has signed-up to become one of our amazing Sands Ribbon Run Champions this year. Thanks to people like Sarah, we will be able to connect more people in her local area who have either experienced pregnancy or baby loss themselves or know someone that has and help raise awareness of and support Sands' work to save babies' lives and support bereaved families.

This is my story, about my son, Dainton-Lee. On 22/08/2013 I went into sudden labour at 33 weeks pregnant. I went straight to hospital where I was put on monitors, within minutes I was rushed down to theatre for an emergency c-section because Dainton-Lee's heart rate was dropping rapidly. 

I had nurses and doctors prepping me for theatre whilst wheeling me down, all I remember is going through the theatre doors crying, then I was asleep. Dainton-Lee was born at 09.47am weighing 3lb 11oz, he was struggling to breathe. 

So, doctors moved him quickly to neonatal (NICU) where he was put on a machine to help with his breathing. When I saw him a few hours later in his incubator so fragile, with wires and tubes everywhere my heart shattered.  

Dainton-Lee had to be transferred to another hospital for a higher level of care. My brave little fighter continued to battle on in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) with numerous lines going through his belly button and machines to help with his breathing.  

This went on and as the days passed Dainton-Lee was slowly deteriorating, which was absolutely heartbreaking to see. 

After 10 days of him fighting for his life, numerous amounts of tests, heart scans, gases and blood tests, I agreed to turn the machines off as there was nothing more the doctors could do to save Dainton-Lee's life. The fairest thing to do was to let him fly with the angels. 

As the nurses and doctors started taking his tubes out and decreasing all his medication, I was finally allowed to give my son his first cuddle, but at same time was saying goodbye. By this point I fell to pieces. 

Within 5 mins on the 02/09/2013 at 01:00 Dainton-Lee gained his angel wings and I felt like my heart had been ripped out. 

I spent a few hours with Dainton-Lee cuddling him, talking to him, telling him things we would have done, then got him dressed for this first time. 

Feeling left empty inside, I then put Dainton-Lee in his cold cot and went back to my room on NICU and cried like I never have before. 

On the following morning, after no sleep and still everything feeling surreal, I went back to see my baby to say my final goodbyes. 

I sat there for hours and hours in silence just cuddling my boy, before giving him a final kiss goodbye. I tucked him back in his cold cot with his teddy and blanket. As I left the room, I fell to my knees crying my eyes out.  

When the post-mortem results came back, I found out that Dainton-Lee died from TAPVD (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Drainage) a very rare heart condition, Severe Pulmonary High Pretention, Severe Lung Disease Surfactant Deficiency and Sepsis which was all the way through his tiny body and organs.  

As any parent would feel I was left mortified and completely heartbroken, by far this has been the most traumatic time of my life. 

Now I share my story, and take part in events like the Ribbon Run, so other parents know they aren’t alone, and that if they need to, they can talk about pregnancy and baby loss too, because there are organisations like Sands who will listen.  

I also share my story so health care professionals can hear from bereaved parents. It can be such an overwhelming time, so I hope my story reminds them of the importance of clear, compassionate communication with parents, so they can understand what’s happening.