Michelle Brotherston

I’m taking part in Sands Starlight Walk for my son Gabriel and Niece Lexi

I’m taking part in Sands Starlight Walk along side my sister Ann. In 2013 my baby boy Gabriel was diagnosed with a cyst on his lung which made him poorly and he developed hydrops and he was given a 50/50 chance of survival when I was 15 weeks pregnant. I chose to grab the positive 50%chance and hope and pray that he would be ok. Fast forward a few weeks and and just short of 5 months pregnant I was given the devasting news that my baby's heartbeat had stopped. This was the news no parent ever wants to hear. Scott and I are blessed with 4 amazing sons earth side and fertility has not came easy to us believe it or not. Gabriel was our 3rd baby. I was so sick with morning sickness with our beautiful boy, his 12 week scan was perfect. We dreamed of who he would be and got excited to welcome him to our wonderful wee family unit. I will never forget the day we got his bad news or the day I had to give birth to him. The hardest day of my life was seeing his little coffin entered into the ground. The emptiness was terrifying. I changed forever as a person. Losing my son broke me and a piece of my heart is forever gone and belongs to him. My beautiful boy looked like his big brother Brody. I have spent years battling the loss of my baby. Unfortunately so many people have experienced the pain Scott and I have experienced. I would not wish it on anyone. Tragedy struck out family again in 2023 when my sisters baby Lexi was born far too soon. The devasting news of my niece Lexi passing was horrendous. To know that my sister had to go through the horrible process of giving birth to her beautiful angel and not seeing her grow. We were all excit s for Lexi joining our family. The first girl in 16 years, a baby cousin for my boys. The love I had for Gabriel and Lexi whilst they were in our tummies was crazy, thinking of all their first, what they would like like, who they would grow to be. Myself and Ann were robbed of our babies growing. I hate that my sister had to deal with this pain. There's no answers. Only anger and confusion. We are doing this walk in memory Gabriel and Lexi and to help those affected by the loss of a baby to find the light in the dark. Every day 13 babies die before, during or shortly after birth. I am raising funds to help Sands continue to build a world where more babies survive, and more families receive the happy ending they deserve.  

Please sponsor me and help Sands create a legacy of hope and comfort, showing the world how much every baby is loved.

Starlight Walk is a sponsored walk where hundreds of people come together to walk under the stars to remember their babies and raise funds for Sands. If you’d like to join me on this challenge, you can sign up here http://www.fundraising.sands.org.uk/starlight-walk Starlight Walk events take place across the UK or you could choose to take part virtually at a location of your choice.

On the darkest of nights, the stars shine the brightest.