A Lochaber father whose son was stillborn is calling for people to join him in climbing Ben Nevis the weekend before Father’s Day.
Michael McGuire of Fort William wants to raise funds to help other bereaved parents and families.
He has organised Big Steps for Small Feet in memory of his son Kyle. The hike aims to raise funds for 10 charities working to support bereaved families every day, including his own, Anam Cara Fasgadh, which provides respite accommodation for bereaved families.
The walkers will set off up Ben Nevis in the evening on June 13, 2020, just after sunset, and should be at the summit to experience the sunrise.
Mr McGuire, who works at Fort William sawmill, said: “Our journey began in May 2009 when our only son Kyle was born asleep at 32 weeks. It literally shattered our world. Rachel and I were a newly married couple living in Glasgow with no family and I had to return to work just three days after burying our son. The day we laid him to rest at Fort William we saw rainbow after rainbow in the sky.
“We started raising awareness almost immediately for Kyle. First for the charity Sands (which supports anyone affected by the death of a baby) then, as the years passed, six marathons for children’s charities close to our hearts.
“Over the coming years, rainbows played a huge part, giving us hope and belief we would be OK. In 2010 our daughter Amelie arrived, our precious rainbow baby, and whilst she has been the hope that saved us, we have always missed our son.”
He got the idea for this fundraising event in June this year when he went up Ben Nevis with a friend at 1am in perfect weather.
Mr McGuire said: “It gave me a fire to try to use the beauty on our doorstep for the greater good. I never expected the reaction and now we find ourselves with 10 amazing charities together working with the same goal of helping other families. We owe it to Kyle to try and make a difference for others, to know we can smile and tell his little sister we never gave up.”
Reaching the summit of the mountain at night will be an unforgettable challenge, with the way lit only by the moon and torches.
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