A dad from Bradford along with his best friend have taken on the world’s biggest half marathon in memory of his baby daughter, who died at just three days old, as part of a five-strong team raising £3,150 for Bradford Hospitals Charity.
Lee Haigh and his best friend Aaron Barber completed the 13.1-mile Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields in support of Bradford Hospitals Charity’s ‘Home from Home’ Appeal. The pair ran as Alice’s Army, in memory of Lee’s first daughter, Alice, who died in December 2018 when she was just three days old.
Lee, his wife Cara and their family spent time with Alice on the neonatal unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary and have never forgotten the care and compassion they received during the most devastating days of their lives. Lee and Aaron initially set themselves a £500 fundraising target, but support for Alice’s Army saw them more than double their goal.
Lee said: “Taking on the Great North Run in Alice’s memory was always going to be emotional. We can’t change what happened to our family, but being able to do something positive in Alice’s name and hopefully make things a little easier for other families going through incredibly difficult times means a huge amount to us. “We’ve been blown away by everyone who has donated and supported us. Alice will always be part of our family, and knowing her name is continuing to make a difference to other families means everything.”
Lee and Aaron were joined in fundraising for the charity by fellow Great North Run participants Laura Kettlewell, Elise Townsend and Daniaal Rauf. Together, the five runners raised £3,150 for the ‘Home from Home’ Appeal.
The appeal is raising funds to provide dedicated accommodation for families whose babies are receiving care on the neonatal unit at Bradford Royal Infirmary, allowing parents and loved ones to remain close during what can be lengthy and unexpected hospital stays.
“It was so special to see our runners cross the finish line surrounded by their own support networks, with husbands, wives, daughters, nieces and friends cheering them on. Some even ran alongside loved ones, supporting each other every step of the way. “That’s exactly what our ‘Home from Home’ Appeal is all about: helping families stay together, support one another and be close to their baby throughout their neonatal journey. Every mile makes a difference, and all five runners should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. Thank you so much.”
For Lee and Aaron, completing the challenge was about far more than crossing the finish line. It was an opportunity to honour Alice’s memory while helping other families facing some of the most difficult days of their lives.
Lee added: “Even though she isn’t here with us, I’ll never stop being Alice’s dad, and taking part in something like this gives me a way of doing something in her name that can help another family. That’s what kept us going for those 13.1 miles.”
