Bereaved dad from Halifax to take on two extreme challenges in 2024 in memory of his daughter

On July 13, Ben, 40, will walk from Wainhouse Tower in Halifax to Blackpool, from where he will then walk to the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre and Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic at St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.

Along with his support team, Ben will walk the 110 miles non-stop and with no sleep day and night to Manchester, finishing the following day.

In August, Ben will then head to the Greek Island of Rhodes and on August 17, during the height of summer, he will take on the islands’ famous Tsambika Monastery on the east coast.

The famous Monastery has 300 steps from the bottom to the top and is perched at an altitude of 240 metres. Ben will be taking this on 100 times in one day.

In August 2021 Ben became the only person to walk around the full perimeter of the island non-stop – a total of 150 miles in 42 hours.

Ben has set himself a target of £10,000 with all funds going direct to Professor Heazell and his team to support research to help save babies’ lives.

In October 2018, Ben’s daughter Kallipateira was stillborn at 38 weeks of pregnancy in Calderdale and the couple then experienced a miscarriage in May 2019 at nine weeks of

pregnancy. Kallipateira’s death was fully preventable.

Ben and his partner Gaynor Thompson launched their own charity to help save babies’ lives through research and support other parents who have experienced the death of a baby.

Following the stillbirth of their daughter and miscarriage they knew if they wanted to have the best chance of another child with a better outcome, they must be cared for by Professor Alexander Heazell of the Tommy’s Rainbow Clinic and Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester.

On May 23, 2020, Ben and partner Gaynor gave birth to their rainbow baby boy Apollon in Manchester.

To help save babies’ lives nationally in the UK Professor Heazell and his team are now the main beneficiary of The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation.

Ben said: “I have been taking on extreme challenges since 2015 and myself and Gaynor decided in 2024, I would take a step back for my mental and physical health.

"The trauma and pressure I have put on myself over the years did catch up on me this year.

"As a nearly 41-year-old it doesn’t get any easier, but I will keep doing my best!

"Originally Gaynor was going to do the Halifax-Blackpool-Manchester event over a few days so I could look after myself in 2024 but unfortunately on the last day of our holiday in Rhodes this August she had a bad fall and broke her ankle. She now faces months of recovery.

"After discussions we decided that I will have to put my trainers back on in 2024 for Kallipateira, Alex and the team in Manchester and for all the babies and families.

"I will also be putting my trainers back on to ensure our little charity can continue. I have completed bigger distances, but I am coming off a couple of bad injuries and 110 miles non-stop is going to be a tough challenge.

"Going to Rhodes the month after to take on Tsambika Monastery 100 times in one day is going to be an extraordinary challenge in the heat and humidity.

"I will be very proud to start at Wainhouse Tower in my own town of Halifax and to give both Blackpool and Rhodes some wonderful publicity.

"Every day in the UK there are on average nine babies stillborn and many of these deaths could have been prevented. These are beautiful fully developed babies who should be alive.

"As a grieving dad who each day feels the pain of Kallipateira’s devastating death I must now raise more vital funds for Professor Heazell and his team to support research so that other families nationally don’t have to experience the pain that we do every day.

"The biggest challenge I face is not the extreme challenges but raising the money because baby death is what I call the world’s biggest phobia – when most people hear about it, they will cross the street, turn the page or change the channel over.

"I am prepared to put myself through the mill again for everyone’s families, but I really do need everyone’s support to help reach my target. To reach my target in 2024 would mean the world to me.”

Professor Alexander Heazell, Director of the Tommy's Stillbirth Research Centre, said: “We are delighted that Ben is completing two amazing challenges for our stillbirth research next year. The KM foundation have funded studies that have explored parents needs for support in pregnancy after loss and to better detect problems after reduced fetal movements. We are so grateful for their support to fund stillbirth research that improves care for parents.”

Stuart Cox, from Dignity Funerals, the headline sponsor of the extreme challenge walk, said: “As a socially responsible business Dignity is delighted to continue our support for the Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation.

"After Ben initially approached us, we could immediately see the value of the work the Foundation does and his inspiring enthusiasm for fundraising. We all wish him the best of luck with his latest challenges.”

Ben can be supported at www.justgiving.com/page/kmf2024 and his official extreme challenge launch video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/YUkZqI01BvM?si=D2y0fwCjogy7Js-x.