Couple help others after baby tragedy
Ashleigh Burns • Published 12 Jul 2012 10:00
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BRAVE: Mark Wyse and Stacey Harvey, pictured with two-year-old son Jamie, released 368 balloons at West End Park as one of the many parts of their fundraising effort
AN ALLOA couple are raising money to buy Forth Valley Royal Hospital a cold cot machine after their baby boy was stillborn.
Mark Wyse (31) and Stacey Harvey (26) are putting their efforts into raising money for the equipment which will allow parents to spend more time with their stillborn child.
They were motivated to fundraise after a routine check-up had shown that baby Mark Robert Wyse's heart had stopped beating - he was born four weeks early on Saturday 21 January.
Since February they have set out to help others who may have to go through the same experience.
Mark explained, "We decided to fundraise because Forth Valley Royal Hospital is quite a new hospital and they didn't have this. And until it happened to us we didn't realise how many stillborn and neonatal births there are. We decided to put all of our efforts into raising money to buy this machine."
He added, "I certainly think it helps with the grieving process if you are allowed to spend more time with the baby. I mean, we were limited."
The Ashley Terrace based couple hope to raise over £3000 to purchase the cot which allows parents time to say a proper goodbye.
It works through keeping the cot or Moses basket at a low temperature and such equipment is not currently provided by the NHS.
In addition to the equipment they would like to give any additional money raised to the Stillborn and Neonatal Death charity (SANDS), as well as give funding towards a snowdrop - or bereavement - room for the hospital.
The couple, who also have a two-year old boy Jamie, have set up the Baby Mark Angel Fund and have raised £2300 already.
This was achieved through holding a psychic night in the Claremont Lodge and organising a balloon race which saw 368 balloons go into the sky at West End park - a race night is also in the works for September.
Mark, who is a process operator at Kerry Ingredients, said they especially wanted to benefit the local area. He explained, "There was lots of different things we could have done but we want to keep it local. We have learned of half a dozen different couples who this has happened to.
"We wanted to help people in this area."
To find out more about the fundraising visit www.facebook.com/babymarkangelfund
More information can be found on SANDS at www.uk-sands.org
This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 11 Jul 12
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