Bex Walsh, Bereavement Midwife at the Royal United Hospitals Bath (RUH), is running the Bath Half Marathon on 17 March 2024, to raise funds for RUHX, the hospital’s official charity.
Bex has worked at the RUH for 20 years, having been a Bereavement Midwife for over 5 years. She supports families with baby loss during and after pregnancy, ensures families receive high levels of care whilst in hospital and that follow up care is in place for when families go home.
“I have chosen to run the Bath Half because it gives an opportunity to raise awareness of baby loss. By raising awareness, I hope families feel more able to remember and honour their baby. Hopefully they are better able to talk about their loss too which increases their sense of support.”
“I am hoping the funds raised will enable space for families whilst visiting the hospital. The funds will also help to continue services such as 3D casting and the upkeep of the Forget Me Not suite.”
The Forget Me Not suite provides families with a comfortable and private place for them to grieve and be with their babies, away from the busy maternity ward.
The team also supports families with making memories after their loss, such as creating clay imprints and ink prints of their baby’s hand and footprints. These then form part of a memory box which parents can add other special items too.
Bex ran the Bath Half 2020 for RUHX wearing a cape with names attached to honour the “very precious babies not with us”, and she plans to do the same this year.
RUHX is the lead local charity at the Bath Half 2024 and has a limited number of charity entries left. To run alongside Bex and the rest of Team RUHX, please visit https://ruhx.org.uk/bath-half/