This year were doing the City2Surf fun run along our family and friends to fundraise for Bears Of Hope Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support. Bears Of Hope aims to comfort, acknowledge, empower, and guide families from within days of their loss and beyond.  

Bears of Hope provides counselling, support groups, grief workshops, parent support weekends, community events and crucial resources to help families navigate this heartbreaking time. In Australia, one in four pregnancies end in loss. As many as 100,000 new families may need support each year.

On the 1st of September 2023 we experienced the loss of our own son, Sage Alexander Dempsey. We were fortunate enough that the hospitals we spent time in for the first week postpartum, were both equipped with Bears of Hope cuddle cots. These are special cots allowing bereaved families time with their babies due to their inbuilt cooling system. We were not only gifted time with Sage but also adopted a bear of hope donated in honour of another baby boy who had passed away. As well as a bag full of resources and activities to create keepsakes/memories with Sage.  

In agreement with Bears of Hope, funds raised will go towards the placement of a cuddle cot (this costs $6500) to a hospital in need. Any funds over this amount will go towards keepsakes and bears in honour of Sage. Just like our own cot we had, this cot will be donated in honour of our son - with the words, "Lovingly donated in honour of Sage Alexander Dempsey 1/9/2023" written on the head of the bassinet. This is a beautiful way to see Sage rippling into the world despite not physically being here. 

Now as we embark on City2Surf we feel proud to be opening up conversations around pregnancy/infancy loss and hoping to reduce the silence on this topic. 

We are especially grateful for our 33 friends and family joining us on our jog for Sage and helping to fundraise with us...

A big thank you to our team;  Lindy (Sages Grandma), Shisten (Sages grandma), Dot, Maria & her two granddaughters, Ash, Alex, Karissa, Natasha, Melinda, Joel, Giorgia, Helen, Hannah, Kaytee, Luke, Kate, Josie, Todd, Sue, Ali, Tony, Katrina, Tanya, Candy, Kristen, Tony, Philippa, Aysha, Tania, Adele and Judy. 

If you do choose to donate and support this fundraiser (especially sharing it or talking about the cause), we thank you in advance.  <3 

All our appreciation & love, Ellen, Aiden & the team.