A Westray pupil has gone the extra mile to support grieving families, and she did it in the memory of a baby sister who was born too soon.
Indie Newlands and her family should still be anticipating the birth of baby sister Aylee Nicolson. But they lost Aylee prematurely in February at just 14 weeks.
It was her father’s birthday.
The loss has left a hole that they are struggling to fill, according to mum Shavonne Smith.
“This was a shock for our families, especially our three children,” she said. Ms Smith has one daughter, Indie, and her partner Wayne Nicolson has two children of his own, Melissa and Alfie.
“Aylee was our first baby together and was to complete our family.”
Turning a memory into a legacy
A postmortem revealed that Aylee had a condition called Trisomy 13, or Patau’s Syndrome. This meant that even if Aylee had made it closer to full term, her chances of survival were low.
With help from a charity called Simpson’s Memory Box Appeal (SiMBA), staff at the Balfour Hospital gifted Shavonne and Wayne a memory box for Aylee. Among the contents were two teddies and two blankets, Ms Smith said.
“We kept one and put one with Aylee, and then before she was taken to be cremated, we swapped them,” she said. “It’s nice to know we have something to keep that’s been with her.
“It gave us a way to show our children a way to keep Aylee in our memories.”
Not long after, Indie had another idea: She resolved to not only keep Aylee’s memory alive but to use it to help others.
So in July, she leapt onto her bicycle with the aim of cycling around her home island of Westray to raise money for charity and help other families in similar situations.
In one month, she logged over 50 miles, raising £1,700 through a dedicated page on JustGiving. The money Indie is raising will be added to £1,000 from friends and family in Orkney and Shetland and donated to SiMBA.
Cycling for a cause
Ms Smith said that she has been blown away by the community’s support.
“In around April time, me and Indie were speaking about how much money had been raised for SiMBA, and that it was amazing that it would be going towards helping other families remember their babies born too soon.
“Indie thought she would like to do something for Aylee, and together we came up with the idea of a sponsored cycle. We thought 50 miles during July would be a challenge, but, hopefully, a doable one!”
Indie might have been the one on the bike, but the fundraiser quickly became a family effort. Indie and her mum are originally from Shetland, and they still have family back home.
So, while Indie pedalled around Westray, Ms Smith’s mother Shona Sandison was busy galvanising support in Shetland and collecting donations.
Indie’s month of riding came to a triumphant conclusion on July 31, and Ms Smith said that Indie’s support group made sure she didn’t cross the finish line alone.
“We met with some of her friends and family, where we walked with her to finish her challenge,” Ms Smith said. “It was very emotional when me and Wayne held up a pink ribbon for a finishing line, and everyone gave a huge cheer for her when she crossed it!”
Although her cycling challenge is officially a wrap, the family is still accepting donations on their Just Giving page.
Ms Smith hopes to announce the total earnings on August 17, the day that Aylee was due to be born.
Read more from the Schools and Family team
Seven As is just the icing on the cake for island student
‘Come for the bairns!’: Island school needs new head teacher
Bereaved Parents’ Day: ‘It was like I suddenly had permission to be Charlie’s mum’
Conversation