Lewis takes on 24hr run for Tommy's in memory of his son

After all, the pain of pushing your body through a run is nothing in comparison to losing a child: but it is my personal outlet and way to honour my son’s memory.

Tommy's story, 14/11/2018

At the beginning of the year, Tommy's supporter Lewis Keywood announced that he was taking on an incredible 2,000 mile running challenge in his continued effort to raise money and awareness of Tommy’s and the work we do. Now Lewis is going one step further to get those miles under his belt, and on Friday 16 November he will begin an epic 24-hour run around the English Riviera, Devon, in a final fundraising push for 2018.

Lewis and his ex-wife sadly lost their son after he was stillborn - an event that understandably changed their lives forever. Tommy's supported Lewis following the loss of their son, which led him to become an avid ambassador. To date, Lewis has raised over £10,000 to back our ongoing research.

Lewis' reason for running

“I will never get over losing my son but the support that Tommy’s baby charity gave was invaluable. It’s an unthinkable situation for anyone to have to face but I found it especially hard as a man. The woman carries the baby so, naturally, they feel a huge connection. But I ended up feeling guilty and I just didn’t want to admit that I was struggling too. That’s why I won’t stop raising funds for Tommy’s and reaching out to other dads who are affected by this. We need to talk and share stories to understand that we’re not alone, and that both parents suffer when tragedies like this occur.

“Trying to fit in enough time to run 2,000 miles within the year is hard enough but, as I always like to push my physical limits to the maximum, I thought I’d see how many of those miles I could complete within a 24-hour period. Without a doubt, this will be the hardest sporting challenge I have ever attempted - both physically and mentally - but I hope with the support of my friends and family, I can make it through. After all, the pain of pushing your body through a run is nothing in comparison to losing a child but it is my personal outlet and way to honour my son’s memory.  As I’ve said before, I won’t stop running and raising funds for Tommy’s for as long as my body allows and hope that people will join me in supporting such a fantastic charity.”
Lewis