Caithness mum Rebecca Sinclair takes on Tiree Ultra in memory of her son George and to raise funds for SiMBA family rooms at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness
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A Caithness mum who tragically lost her baby during an emergency operation last year wants to repay the kindness of hospital staff and honour her son.
Rebecca Sinclair has already raised thousands of pounds to help refurbish the family room at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness after tackling the gruelling Tiree Ultramarathon this month.
The 33-year-old has raised more than £4600 for the SiMBA family room project. The rooms within maternity and neonatal units offer bereaved parents the opportunity to spend precious time with their baby in a peaceful and private setting.
She ran the ultra in memory of her son George Maurice Sinclair who was stillborn on November 15 after a group B streptococcus infection sent her into an early labour.
Thankfully the skilled staff at Raigmore saved her life after she began to bleed heavily, which resulted in an emergency C-section. Sadly, at less than 24 weeks, George was just too little to be saved.
Rebecca lives in Glengolly with her husband Kenny and daughter Olivia, who will be five later this month.
She said: "I am lucky to be here myself, very lucky. I wanted to give something back to parents who sadly may face what we have been through. These rooms will offer some comfort in what is an utterly heartbreaking time.
"We had amazing support from all the staff and were given time to spend with George," she explained.
"Now I would like to give something back in George's honour."
The Tiree Ultramarathon was run around the 35-mile circumference of the Inner Hebrides island on Sunday, September 5, covering varied terrain over sandy beaches and unspoilt landscape, a place that Rebecca has a strong attachment to.
She was delighted to complete the full course in eight hours 12 minutes after earlier in the year deciding to swap to the relay option due to an injury.
Rebecca had experienced a text book pregnancy until just the day before the emergency C-section when she felt something was wrong after noticing the baby was not moving around the same.
After a few phone calls to health professionals and a check-up in Wick she drove herself to Raigmore and within 45 minutes of reaching the hospital in Inverness her placenta sheared and Rebecca said she was virtually bleeding to death.
She spent a week down in the maternity ward and found it very hard hearing the other babies when she had lost hers. It was also difficult for family and friends to visit her, and as a result feels the SiMBA project is so important.
"That is why I wanted to do the Tiree Ultra – that place just holds a special place in my heart," Rebecca explained. "After I lost George and was not very well it just had to be that one.
"I cannot put it into words – it just feels magical to me and calming, somewhere where I feel really at peace."
She explained that with 15 beaches the island had many fabulous views. "It is probably one of the most scenic runs I have ever been on," said Rebecca. "As I was running along I was stopping to write his name in the sand. Whenever I go to a beach I always write his name in the sand. Some of the runners behind me said we saw 'George'."
When she decided to take part the race was already full with no more allocated spaces for competitors, however she contacted the organiser and when he heard her story he made sure there was a place for her.
Then Rebecca, who is a member of the North Highland Harriers but runs for pleasure rather than taking part in competitions, got in touch with her coach Sophie Dunnett who had helped her get through the Tiree Ultra on a previous occasion.
It was not all plain sailing for the former Eastern Airways flight attendant as she went through a bit of a breakdown after losing George and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. During her training she was also plagued by a plantar fasciitis problem, so she decided to reduce down to the relay option at Tiree and team up with another runner, each running half the distance.
She was determined to do what she could to continue and was regularly massaging her foot with a foam roller and icing it. Two weeks before the event the pain got better and Rebecca felt she might be in with a chance to complete the marathon.
She asked the organiser if it would be okay to complete the course if she felt fine at the halfway point of the relay and he happily gave her the go ahead.
Rebecca only managed the bare minimum of training, completing just four or five 10 mile runs, but despite the lack of preparation she still finished the event just half an hour slower than her first attempt, but she admitted to dawdling as she stopped to take lots of photos.
"The cut off time for the ultra is 10 hours," she pointed out. "I expected to be well over the 10 hours – there was a lot of tears at the end. I felt every emotion on that run, I was delighted to be there but I had thoughts of it's not fair, why us?"
Rebecca feels the running has helped her get through the trauma that she has gone through. Taking on the ultra gave her something to focus on and kept her going.
After she decided to do the run, she set up a JustGiving page and organised a raffle which snowballed with lots of local businesses and friends donating prizes.
"I have been overwhelmed by people's generosity," said Rebecca. "My original target was £1000 and that I thought was aiming high."
Other mums have also since been in touch with her recalling similar stories of losing babies.
It has been very hard for her family with daughter Olivia struggling to understand why her friends were getting baby sisters and brothers but hers did not get to come home.
Rebecca said: "Someone said to me the first year is the worst, you have to get through all the milestones, but it gets better."
Donations can by made at JustGiving on Rebecca's Tiree Ultramarathon page [www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rebecca-sinclair-tiree] which will be kept open until George's birthday on November 15.
