Halifax dad Ben Moorhouse completes Rhodes mountain climb
The money raised will go to Tommy's Rainbow Clinic in Manchester to fund research into preventing stillbirths.Mr Moorhouse's partner Gaynor Thomson gave birth to their son Apollon there in 2020.Mr Moorhouse said he managed to complete both challenges with the help of some "Yorkshire grit and determination".
He said: "It was a massive mental test, but we managed to get through both."At the moment there's a Greek heatwave so temperatures were 40C and above."There was no shade whatsoever."It was absolutely brutal."My feet were aching quite a bit last night and my knee was swollen."But compared to what some people in the world are dealing with, it's trivial."The power of love for my daughter kept me going when the going got tough."I just reminded myself why I was doing it."Mr Moorhouse is no stranger to extreme physical challenges, having completed several over the last decade. But his preparation for this task was complicated by injury, as he damaged cruciate ligaments in his right knee just nine weeks beforehand, hampering his training plans.He could not even walk in a straight line until four weeks beforehand.But despite suffering "severe cramps" in his calf on Prophet Elias Monastery Mountain, he managed to complete his 50th and final ascent just after 19:00 local time (17:00 BST) on Sunday.Mr Moorhouse, who works for a housing association, said: "I don't very often say I'm proud of myself because I'm quite humble about what I do, but I gave myself a pat on the back when I finished, because it's been a tough year with injury."
He and Miss Thomson set up the Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation to fund the research at Tommy's Rainbow Clinic, which they said would benefit parents across the UK. The clinic offers specialist care for women who have suffered a previous stillbirth or neonatal death.Mr Moorhouse said the subject of stillbirths was often "brushed under the carpet" and that friends and neighbours of grieving parents often struggled to know how to help. "To put yourself in that person's shoes, I understand, is such a difficult thing to do," he said."But this happens every single day to parents all around the UK."You don't have to have a big conversation about what's happened, just a simple acknowledgement to say, 'I'm thinking of you, I'm here if you need anything'."Not saying something is far worse than saying something you think is wrong."
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Witham couple's baby loss charity helps 50 families so far
A baby loss charity that strives to ensure "no family faces this heart-wrenching journey alone" has helped more than 50 families in its first 18 and Barry Hobart set up Little Wings of Hope in memory of their son Oscar, who lived for just a few hours after arriving prematurely at 23 weeks. "When we came out of hospital, we searched for help and support and found there was such a lack," Ms Hobart said, from Witham in Essex. A sponsored walk up Snowdon, in Gwynedd, Wales, recently raised nearly £13,000 for the charity, which is "a life-changing amount of money" for it, she said. "It'll enable us to continue our work and help that next family who will sadly lose their baby - and keep Oscar's legacy alive."The charity has been running since January 2024 and now supports bereaved parents in Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent and Cambridgeshire, as well as Essex. 'Just too little' Ms Hobart, a first-time mother, "didn't think I'd be walking out of the hospital with a box rather than my baby".Oscar arrived prematurely in July 2023 at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and, despite the best efforts of the "amazing" medical team, he "was just too little" to survive more than a few hours, she said."I'll always be so grateful for that time I had with Oscar, but I'm also mindful that other families don't get that opportunity to hold their babies for as long to see them breathe," she said. "We had that time to make those memories, to speak to him to let him know that we loved him, that he was loved."Within a month, the couple were trying to set up a charity to provide the sort of support they would have appreciated themselves from others going through it. Jasmine and Owen, who live near Norwich, lost their son Sunny two months ago, when Jasmine was 38 weeks pregnant."It's like a bad dream, a nightmare that you couldn't wake up from, and everything stops around you," said Jasmine. Owen had to break the news to their six-year-old son Harry and said: "I'll never forget having that conversation with him - life changed for us and it will always be different."Jasmine said the support from Little Wings of Hope is making a difference: "They describe it as a hole in your heart - over time the hole gets smaller but it never goes away, and it will always hurt and there will never be a time when you move on you'll never forget." Baby loss in the UK 13 babies die shortly before during or after birth every day in the UKAt least one in six pregnancies ends in miscarriageThe UK baby death rate is said to be average compared to other European countries But some countries such as Sweden consistently perform betterSource: Sands & Tommy's Joint Policy Unit Ms Hobart said these figures were "far bigger than we imagined"."Over the last 18 months, we have been able to support over 50 families and that for me screams there is a need for support out there for families - this year alone we've had 35 inquiries for help and support," she Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Dad's illness inspires Peterborough nurse to run ultramarathon
A nurse who got into running less than a year ago while her father was in intensive care has completed an ultramarathon, raising money for people going through a similar Cooper, 27, works in the emergency department at Peterborough City Hospital and completed the 50k (31 miles) Boudicca Way ultramarathon in Norwich on Saturday. After her dad fell ill in December, she has been fundraising to help a new Peterborough branch of charity ICU Steps, which supports patients and families affected by critical said: "To help cope, and to stop myself staring at four walls, I started running and training became my way of managing everything emotionally while Dad was in intensive care." Ms Cooper, who has raised £465 from the run so far, said her father was admitted to the intensive care unit and had to be said: "Having the consultants sit me, my mum and my brother down and tell us to say our goodbyes was the most heart-breaking thing I've ever gone through." Without the intensive care unit team, she says her dad, who is a retired paramedic, "wouldn't be here today". The new support branch in Peterborough will be an informal group for critical care patients and their families and Cooper said: "I'm incredibly grateful, and proud to be supporting ICU Steps and raising awareness of just how much this kind of support can mean for families like mine."I ended up falling in love with running and decided to push myself even further with this ultramarathon - and doing it for such an amazing charity is what keeps me going." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
Brit teen left fighting for her life after ear infection on idyllic Greek holiday turned into nightmare health battle
A BRIT teen holidaying on an idyllic Greek island has been left fighting for her life after an ear infection turned into a nightmare health battle. Millie Bayles, 19, now remains in intensive care at an Athens hospital after jetting out on a sunshine holiday to the island of Rhodes. 5 5 Her family said she first noticed symptoms of an ear infection - but it turned into something much more serious. Millie, who comes from North Wales, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis - leaving her family with a £40,000 bill to get her home. She was moved 300 miles from the island to intensive care in the Greek capital. The Brit teen, who is said to be out of immediate danger, remains in a semi-conscious state. Mum Lauren Murphy and stepfather Pete flew out to be by her side as doctors battle to get her well. Millie unfortunately failed to take out travel insurance when she went with friends for the summer break. Her mum has now received a quote for tens of thousands of pounds to pay for her medical bills and bring her back to the UK. Lauren has been left no choice but to turn to the public for help to pay for her treatment - which includes a private medical emergency flight. The family have reached their £40,000 target on their appeal with more than 900 donations from family, friends and even strangers - and hope to get Millie home soon. Lauren said: "We are now at the stage where we can look to bring Millie back to the UK. I caught brain-swelling virus after snorkelling on holiday "She is out of immediate danger, but she has a long road to recovery ahead of her." "She is still only semi-conscious, and we have yet to see how badly this illness will have affected her brain in the long term. "Unfortunately, due to being an invincible young person, Millie neglected to take out any holiday insurance, and so we have to fund her medical flight home privately. "We desperately need help to get our girl back to her home country so she can continue her recovery process." Step-father Pete Murphy said: "I am so overwhelmed by the immediate generosity of all of you lovely people and plenty that are certainly not on my friend list. "Myself, Lauren and Millie are so grateful for your kind donations. Millie has got a long battle ahead but she certainly has a lot of people routing for her and we can't thank you enough for that." What is meningitis and how you can you avoid getting it? MENINGITIS is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord (meninges). It can be very serious if not treated quickly - it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves. Symptoms include: a high temperature (fever) being sick a headache a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop) a stiff neck a dislike of bright lights drowsiness or unresponsiveness seizures (fits) Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E immediately if you think you or someone you look after could have meningitis or sepsis. Meningitis is usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Bacterial meningitis is rarer but more serious than viral meningitis. Infections that cause meningitis can be spread through: sneezing coughing kissing Vaccinations offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis. These include the: MenB vaccine – offered to babies aged 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age pneumococcal vaccine – 2 doses offered to babies at 12 weeks and 1 year, and a single dose offered to adults aged 65 or over Hib/MenC vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year of age MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year and a second dose at 3 years and 4 months MenACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers, sixth formers and "fresher" students going to university for the first time Source: NHS 5 5
