Brave mum’s jump in memory of James

A Huthwaite woman who suffered a devastating loss when her newborn baby died has taken part in a sponsored skydive for the charity that helped her through such a difficult time.
Kirsty UsherKirsty Usher
Kirsty Usher

Kirsty Usher (26) gave birth to son James in February 2013 at just over 24 weeks pregnant.

Due to the tiny baby’s prematurity and the number of complications he had, he lived for just one week and died in hospital on 4th March.

Kirsty turned to the Mariposa Trust’s Saying Goodbye services for advice and support following her tragic loss and on Sunday took part in the national ‘Jump for Love’ skydiving event.

Said Kirsty: “You can waffle on to family and friends as much as you want, but life goes on for everybody else and sometimes it’s just easier and nice to have a charity or a group of people who are going through the same thing or similar just to talk to.”

It was only after contacting the charity, which helps anyone who has experienced baby loss, that Kirsty realised how often it happens.

“I never once thought about it before - it just doesn’t happen to you - but when it does, it hits you like a train,” she said.

Kirsty saw the Jump for Love being advertised and decided to get involved. She did the jump in Brackley on Sunday and said she ‘loved it’.

She has raised more than £700 for the charity and is ‘completely overwhelmed’ that so many people have sponsored her.

“With something like this, you are trying to do something good out of what happened.

“I am trying to use James’ memory to do something good,” Kirsty added.

The Mariposa Trust is a leading baby loss charity that helps anyone who has experienced baby loss during pregnancy, at birth or in infancy.

Saying Goodbye is one of the trust’s two divisions, providing an online support service and holding national commemorative services at cathedrals and minsters across the UK.

Kirsty’s can still be sponsored on her fundraising page at mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jumpingforjames.

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