This is Tamworth --WHEN Tamworth couple Sean Byrne and Sophie Bishop complete their gruelling Three Peaks challenge on Saturday, August 10 – it will be almost a year since their daughter Olivia Grace was brought into the world.
It has been a year of great hardship, from the ecstasy of birth to the unimaginable tragedy of losing their firstborn.
But despite their suffering, the couple's tale reaffirms belief in the strength of compassion and support of others – and repaying debts of gratitude.
It was only a few days after being born at Good Hope Hospital on August 25 that Olivia's complications became apparent .
After being transferred to Heartlands Hospital and treated for an infection, she was later moved to Birmingham Children's Hospital where she would remain until Christmas Eve.
Little Olivia was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's Disease – where the gastrointestinal tract has no nerves and therefore cannot function.
Olivia suffered from many complex problems, including brain stem demyelination, a condition which affects the neurons. which would ultimately claim her life.
"The conditions were life-limiting," said Sean, aged 26. "The doctors said she would live for around six months with palliative care so we could take her home."
It was at this point that the support of Acorns Childrens' Hospice in Walsall entered the lives of Sean, Sophie and Olivia.
"We visited Acorns a number of times," explained Sean, a Sergeant in the 3rd Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery. "They had a Jacuzzi which Olivia loved, there was arts and crafts, we've got quite a lot of good memories from the hospice.
"Their [Acorns] main contribution was in the last nine days when Olivia took ill and we had taken her to A&E, but there wasn't much they could do for her.
"We were left with two options, keep her on a hospital ward or take her to Acorns. The staff at Acorns made sure Olivia was pain free and would ensure she was not alone when we needed to go out for a walk."
Olivia passed away on Wednesday, May 22.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to Acorns," said Sean. "They helped us make the best of a bad situation.
"Rather than sit down and mope about it and feel sorry for ourselves, we wanted to do something to show our thanks for all their support."
Sean and 21-year-old Sophie, of Sunset Close in Tamworth, will be joined by Sophie's brother Jamie, aged 18, and 26-year-old sister Kerry to take on the Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday, August 20.
Renaming the event "Grace The Peaks" in memory of Olivia Grace, the group is aiming to raise £2,000 for Acorns Children's Hospice.
They will be joined by Sean's former schoolmates at QEMS, Gary Short, Greg Elton, Mia Lowe, Jay Smith and Ryan Hassan, all aged 26.
Together, they will scale the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours.
To support the group on their "Grace The Peaks" challenge, log on to www.justgiving.com/GraceThePeaks Reported by This is 21 hours ago.
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