Charity fun day inspired by loss of baby Archie

Nicole Rolls and her friend Laura Howard are organising a family fun day next month to raise money for The Lullaby Trust.

The charity raises awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and offers emotional support for bereaved families.

Nicole explained: “Many people often haven’t heard of this charity - but it is one close to my heart.

“Archie was a perfectly happy and healthy little boy.

“He was always smiling and giggling, and he never failed to put a smile on your face.

“Archie gave me and so many others lots of happy memories throughout his short life and he will always be remembered.

“On Sunday, September 11, 2016, my world fell apart and it has never been the same since.”

Nicole said it was about 3.30am that night when she went to check on her baby son and found him unresponsive.

“Archie was found to be a perfectly healthy little boy and no reason can be found for why he left us so soon.

“More funding is needed towards investigating Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) because there is not enough research and awareness about this.

“No family should have to go through the heartbreak of losing a child.

“No healthy baby or child’s heart should just stop beating without a reason.”

Nicole also explained how the Lullaby Trust offered support after Archie lost his life at the age of 13 months.

Nicole said: “The Lullaby Trust provides support to bereaved parents at such a difficult time.

“They help in a range of ways such as a bereavement support helpline, a discussion forum to enable you to speak with parents in a similar situation, funding family days out for bereaved families and the Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme, which provides parents with a movement monitor and extra health visitor support should they go on to have another child.

“They also do much needed research into SIDS and SUDC to try and reduce infant death and find out the cause of why it so suddenly happens.”

The free event, called the ‘Lullaby Family Fun Day’, will take place at Ruskington Village Hall on Saturday, May 18, from 10am-4pm.

There will be a range of stalls selling everything from hand-made crafts and clothing, to cakes and refreshments.

Children will also be entertained with various games and activities, including a bouncy castle.

But this is not the first fundraiser that Nicole has completed for the Lullaby Trust.

In 2017, Nicole was joined by members of her family who climbed Mount Snowdon and raised £600 in the process.

Nicole has also completed a 10-mile walk from New York to Woodhall Spa at the end of last year , which raised a further £523.33 for the charity.

So far, Nicole has raised £1,453.50 on Just Giving.

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