Hazel Remeika, Mags Bradbury, Jenny Allen and Sarah Alldred to raise money for SANDS

Keela Walsh and baby Samuel

Hazel Remeika, Mags Bradbury, Jenny Allen and Sarah Alldred (Team Keela) will be taking part in the Great Manchester Run on Sunday 18 May to raise money for SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity).

The group of friends are taking part in the run to support friend Keela Walsh whose son died shortly after birth.

Keela, who is from Castleton, said: “I was really touched when they said they were going to do this. I didn’t ask them to do it and for them to say that they would do it for our charity of choice was lovely.”

Keela and partner Stephen’s son, Samuel died suddenly in September 2013 after labour despite a healthy pregnancy.

“SANDS have been really great in offering support for us so this is a way of giving something back to them,” added Keela.

Keela supported friend Hazel two years ago by completing the Race for Life event in memory of her mum. The pair managed to raise over £500 for Cancer Research by walking and jogging around Heaton Park in torrential rain.

Hazel has now vowed to support Keela by completing the 10k run in around an hour.

“They have done things like this before and it was their idea to do it,” added Keela.

The group hope to raise over £1,000 for the charity and have currently raised £918. “They have done really well and raised £918 so far so they just need that little extra push,” said Keela.

As well as her friends fundraising, Keela and Stephen have been raising money with the help of family and friends to create a bereavement leaflet for St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.

Keela and Stephen set up a legacy fundraising page to raise the funds and managed to raise over £3,000.

Keela said: “We decided to create a bereavement leaflet because you can get information in the hospital but it is often in a big folder and you don’t really want to sit and read through it all. The leaflet should be completed within the next few months and we are really pleased with how it has all gone.”

Anyone wishing to sponsor Team Keela can do so by visiting:

http://www.justgiving.com/Hazel-Remeika