Emma Marney

Walking 100K for My Baby – March for Sands

In March, I’ll be walking 100K for Sands.

Not just for awareness.

Not just for fundraising.

But for my baby.

Recently, I lost my baby at 11 weeks. Even writing those words still feels surreal. At 11 weeks, you’re already imagining the future. You’ve pictured tiny hands, first cries, who they might look like. You’ve allowed yourself to feel joy. You’ve started to love someone you haven’t even met yet.

And then everything changes.

Pregnancy loss is something so many people experience, yet it’s still spoken about in hushed tones. There’s an unspoken expectation to “move forward” quickly because it was “early.” But grief doesn’t measure time in weeks. Love doesn’t either.

This 100K walk is my way of honouring my baby.

My way of saying they mattered.

They existed.

They are loved.

Sands supports families through the devastation of baby loss, and although nothing can take away the pain, knowing there are organisations that understand this kind of grief makes a difference. They give space to talk about our babies, to say their names, to not feel alone in something that can feel incredibly isolating.

100K will be tough. There will be blisters. There will be exhaustion. There will be moments I want to stop.

But grief is tough.

Loss is exhausting.

And we don’t get to stop feeling it.

So every step I take in March will be for my baby.

For the plans that won’t happen.

For the milestones we won’t reach.

For the life that was loved so deeply in such a short time.

If sharing this helps even one person feel less alone in their loss, then it’s worth it.

And if you’re reading this while carrying your own quiet grief — I see you. Your baby mattered. Your loss matters.

I’m walking 100K for mine. 🤍