Dr Joy Allen, our senior methodologist, is aiming to smash the “Jog 50 miles in March” target to raise awareness and funding for Sands, the UK’s leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity.

Joy Allen, Senior Clinical Test Evaluation Methodologist at the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative (NIHR Newcastle MIC) is joining others who are taking on the “Jog 50 Miles in March” challenge to show support for families who have lost a baby. She hopes to raise awareness and funding for Sands, the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK.  Sands exists to reduce the number of babies dying and to ensure that anyone affected by the loss of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it. They want to campaign for change and support research so that fewer babies die and fewer families experience this devastating tragedy.

Joy said:

“Nearly every two hours in the UK, a family is faced with the monumental devastation that their baby will not survive during, or soon after birth. This affects many more people around us than we realise. The Sands charity wants to lower that number through research and in parallel support those families who are going through such a distressing time. I wanted to use this opportunity of setting myself a running target, alongside other members of my family, to raise awareness of the amazing work Sands do. As they are completely dependent on charitable donations I hope this will encourage others to show their support as well.”

To learn more about the fantastic work Sands do, and to donate to the charity, please visit this link.