THE birth of their second son earlier this year should have been a joyous occasion for Andrew and Suzanne Maguire from Belcoo.

Instead, little Patrick Andrew was born sleeping in April, plunging the family he never got to meet into an unbearable loss.

Determined to keep his memory alive the couple, whose eldest son, Shay, turns two next month, decided to raise money for the charity that offered them support at a time of utter despair.

Andrew and Suzanne have the Stillbirth and Neonatal Deaths charity (SANDS) to thank for the memory box of Patrick which they now hold so dear.

But they have found the task of raising awareness and money for the charity difficult, not only because of their own personal loss, but because “no-one really wants to talk about the death of a baby”.

Suzanne was full-term in April when doctors delivered the unthinkable news that their baby boy had passed away in utero.

“It was very sudden,” says Suzanne.

And having already given birth to a health boy previously, “it was very unexpected”.

“After Patrick was born SANDS gave us a memory box. We now have his hand and foot prints and photos of him in there. They gave us a blanket that we wrapped him in and we kept a lock of his hair.

“Had we not been given the box, I don’t think we would even have thought of doing something like that because of where our heads were at that time.

“But now, it is such a comfort to have those things. We were able to spend time with him.” Suzanne is still receiving support through SANDS by attending their meetings on a monthly basis.

“It’s nice to meet other people who are four to five years on from their loss. They may have had other children. It’s comforting to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“I had heard of still birth before, but I didn’t know anyone who had experienced it. It wasn’t something I ever thought that could happen to me.

“It’s hard fundraising for SANDS. No one ever wants to talk about a something so awful.

“If you were to fundraise for other organisations or charities, it would be easier to promote. But for SANDS it is very hard.

“And yet if it wasn’t for them I don’t know what we would have done. There is no manual for how to cope with something like this.

“But it has been a relief to have them there and to know that other people have gone through it too.” Andrew and his sister, Lucia, took on the Longford Marathon at the end of August in memory of Patrick.

So far, just under £400 has been raised in his name.

Determined to raise more, the siblings will take on the Belfast Half Marathon this weekend.

“We really want to raise as much as we can for SANDS,” says Suzanne, “£30 buys one of the memory boxes.” To donate to Patrick’s JustGiving page go to: https://www.justgiving.com/For-Patrick/.