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'I want to help families who've lost their babies'

Ellen Knightin Edgmond
News imageFamily Supplied photograph of Daisy stood next to her purple bike. She is wearing a pink cycling jersey with white flowers on it, and a pink and purple cycling helmet. Daisy has her arms folded and is smiling at the camera. She is stood on a muddy path in a wooded area. Family
Daisy cycled from Newport, Shropshire to Stafford, a distance of 25 miles

A six-year-old girl has spoken of how she wants to make "a massive difference for people who've lost their babies".

Daisy, from Edgmond in Shropshire, cycled 25 miles to Stafford to raise nearly £2,000 for local maternity services.

She set up the ride after her sisters, twins Aurora and Seren died after pregnancy complications, in January 2023, and her family got support from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust's maternity bereavement team.

Daisy said she hopes her fundraising efforts "will really help" other families experiencing the same kind of loss.

The maternity bereavement team have "done lots of things to help mummy". Daisy explained, including memory boxes to remember the twins.

"There's candles to remember their birthdays, and certificates. There's little angels as well," she said.

The fundraising challenge was "really good," said Daisy, adding she was a "really big fan" of cycling.

"It was quite hard. I thought it was quite hard, but then it was okay in the end," she added.

News imageEllen Knight/BBC Ella and Daisy photographed sat together on a sofa. They are both looking at the camera and smiling. Ella is wearing a white and beige striped jumper, and Daisy is wearing a bright pink top with black flowers, and a denim pinafore. They are sat inside, with a black log burner in the fireplace behind them. Ellen Knight/BBC
Ella said she was "very proud" of Daisy's fundraising

Her mum Ella explained that while she was pregnant with Aurora and Seren, she "unfortunately met some complications and had an infection", resulting in her waters breaking early.

"I spontaneously gave birth to one of them and then had to go into hospital and be induced to have the other one," Ella explained.

The support from the maternity bereavement team was "fantastic," she said.

"They talked us through all of our options and supported us in the weeks and years afterwards."

Since then, Daisy's sister Ruby was born, with the team continuing to support Ella during that pregnancy.

"They were just incredible," she said, adding that "we couldn't have done it without them."

News imageFamily Supplied photograph of Daisy stood next to her purple bike. She is wearing a pink cycling jersey with white flowers on it, and a pink and purple cycling helmet. Daisy is smiling at the camera and giving a thumbs up. She is stood on a tarmac cycle path. Family
Six-year-old Daisy is a "really big fan" of cycling

Having raised £1,870 for the bereavement team, Daisy said she is "really, really proud".

"It will really help [other families] when they've lost their babies," she added.

Daisy's family had "absolutely no doubts" about her ability to complete the challenge, Ella said.

"I am very, very proud."

The six-year-old's passion for cycling was sparked by Newport Shropshire Cycling Club.

"I go to bike club," she explained, adding "it really makes me feel excited and happy because it's just what I want to do - cycling."

Daisy's answer to whether another challenge is on the cards?

"We might cycle 50 miles next time," she added.

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