Seas-ing the day to celebrate 25 years of supporting bereaved families through baby loss, Dan Lovett will be swimming 25k from Old Harry Rocks to the needles lighthouse in the Isle of Wight.
In the next few weeks, Dan Lovett is set to plunge into the deep end of the Jurassic Coast to raise awareness and significant funds to support the SPRING service funded by University Hospitals Dorset NHS Charity.
SPRING has been able to support bereaved parents in Bournemouth, Poole and the surrounding areas for 25 years to parents who have experienced the grief of the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, whatever the circumstances and however long ago. This year’s 25th anniversary of the SPRING service has inspired Dan’s ‘big swim’!
Dan says: “I will be braving the waves and battling the tides, currents, jellyfish and anything else in-between to celebrate 25 years of this much-needed service. In 2023, my wife and I were delighted to be expecting our first baby. We couldn’t wait share our news with the world and visualised all of the things we wanted to do as new parents.”
“When we went for a scan and found out that a heartbeat couldn’t be found, we were devastated. It was a ‘missed’ miscarriage, which felt especially cruel as there were no signs that anything was wrong with our baby. Our world collapsed around us and it felt like a huge wave had hit us, flipping everything upside-down.
“In our darkest time, SPRING was there to support us and our counselling has helped us to learn how to sit with our emotions, how to grieve and how to begin to rebuild. Talking openly and honestly in this safe environment provided by SPRING has allowed my wife and I to grow and heal together. I will never be able to thank the team enough for all that they have done, but I can swim the distance to make a difference and say thank you.”
Dan has so far raised over £2,235 and his fundraising efforts are ongoing, right up to the day he out’s on his wetsuit. If you would like to support dan’s ‘big swim’, go to www. Givewheel.com and search ‘Old Harry rocks to the needles’.
Half of the funds raised will also go to Myleoma UK in support of a family member’s cancer journey and recovery.
Fundraising Officer Zoe Woods says: “I’ve seen many supporters do incredible things to support the service that has helped them during their most difficult times but buoy is this one an epic challenge! On behalf of the charity and SPRING team, I want to wish Dan the best of luck for his challenge and to say thank you for braving the open water and swimming the distance for all the families who have been supported by SPRING or may need us in the future.”
