Emma Roberts

100K for Sands — For Little Bean, and for Every Family Who Has Lost

10 years ago, we lost our little bean.

This year marks 10 years since one of the most traumatic and painful experiences of our lives — losing our baby through an ectopic pregnancy.

There are some experiences in life that change you forever. This is one of ours.

An ectopic pregnancy is not simply the loss of a pregnancy. It is an experience that can be physically frightening, emotionally devastating and incredibly traumatic. In the midst of the fear, the uncertainty and the heartbreak, we had to face the reality that our precious little bean was never going to come home with us.

And then there was the grief.

The kind of grief that doesn’t simply disappear because time passes.

Ten years on, Little Bean is still remembered. Still loved. Still part of our story.

Sadly, our journey to becoming parents didn’t end there. For reasons we may never fully understand, we have never been able to conceive again, despite going through IVF treatment.

That brought its own layer of grief — the loss of the baby we had hoped for, the loss of the future we had imagined, and the repeated disappointment of hoping that perhaps this time things might be different.

Pregnancy and baby loss can leave an impact that is both emotional and physical. It can affect relationships, confidence, identity, faith and the way you see the future. And sometimes, because there isn’t a baby to bring home or a lifetime of memories that others can see, the loss can feel invisible to the outside world.

But it isn’t invisible to us.

Our baby mattered. Our loss mattered. And Little Bean matters.

Through all of this, our deep faith in Jesus and the incredible community around us have helped carry us through some incredibly dark and painful places. It hasn’t erased the grief, but it has given us hope, strength and somewhere to turn when we couldn’t carry it ourselves.

And that’s one of the reasons I have chosen to take part in 100K for Sands.

I want to turn something incredibly painful from our story into something that can help someone else.

Why Sands?

Sands is the UK’s leading pregnancy and baby loss charity. They support anyone affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby — whether that loss happened yesterday or decades ago.

And sadly, there are so many families who need that support.

Every day in the UK, 13 babies die shortly before, during or soon after birth, and at least 1 in 6 pregnancies end in miscarriage.

Behind every statistic is a person.

A mum.

A dad.

A baby.

A family.

A story.

Sands provides compassionate support through helplines, email support, online groups and local peer-support communities. They also provide resources and training for healthcare professionals so that bereaved families can receive the sensitive and compassionate care they deserve.

But they don’t stop there.

Sands supports research into why babies die and how future deaths can be prevented. They listen to bereaved parents and use their experiences to help improve maternity care. They campaign to make sure pregnancy and baby loss remains on the political agenda and that the voices of bereaved families are heard.

That matters enormously to me.

Because when you have experienced loss, you don’t want another family to go through what you went through.

You want understanding.

You want compassion.

You want answers.

And ultimately, you want fewer families to have to experience this heartbreak.

So, this one is for Little Bean.

Ten years ago, I couldn’t have imagined that our little baby would still be such an important part of our story.

I can’t change what happened.

I can’t bring our baby back.

But I can remember.

I can speak.

I can share our story.

And I can raise money that could help Sands support another family walking through the unimaginable.

So I’m asking you to join me.

Whether you can donate £5, £10, £20 or whatever you can afford, every single pound matters.

And if you can’t donate, please share my fundraising page. You never know who in your circle may need Sands one day — perhaps someone who hasn’t found the words to tell anyone what they have been through.

Let’s take something that began with heartbreak and turn it into hope.

For Little Bean.
For the babies who should be here.
For the parents who carry their children in their hearts.
For the families still learning how to live with loss.
And for a future where fewer families have to experience it.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story, for remembering Little Bean with us, and for supporting 100K for Sands.

With love,

Emma ❤️

Forever remembered. Forever loved. Never forgotten.

*Please donate and help me reach my fundraising goal for Sands. Every donation, every share and every act of kindness can make a difference.