Melissa Cooper

Running for Hunter – 2K a Day with Sands 🕊️ In memory of Hunter 💚

This run is for Hunter — my beautiful nephew, taken far too soon.

There are no words that ever truly fit when you lose a child. The silence they leave behind is heavy, and the ache never really fades. What does remain, though, is love — and the need to do something with it.

That’s why I’ve committed to running 2 kilometres every day in support of Sands, a charity that provides vital support to families affected by baby loss. This challenge isn’t about pace, distance, or personal bests. It’s about showing up, every single day, in Hunter’s memory.

Some days the run will feel easy. Other days it won’t. But that feels right — because grief isn’t consistent either. It comes in waves. Some days you breathe, other days you push through. This run reflects that.

Sands were there for families when the unthinkable happens. They offer comfort, guidance, and understanding at a time when the world feels unbearably cruel and unfair. No family should have to navigate that pain alone.

Every step I take is for:

• Hunter 💙
• Families who have lost a baby
• Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and siblings who carry love alongside loss

If this challenge raises awareness, starts a conversation, or helps even one family feel supported, then every kilometre is worth it.

Thank you to everyone who supports, donates, shares, or simply keeps Hunter’s name alive. He will always matter. He will always be loved.

For Hunter. Always