Rachel and Nathan Beasley's journey began in 2017 with two little blue lines; baby joy for the couple and their beautiful children, Edward Murphy and Lily Beasley.
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The pregnancy seemed to be going well. Mrs Beasley had morning sickness and aches and pains, but nothing out of the ordinary. At 20 weeks, their world came "crashing down" - an ultrasound found their baby boy, who was yet to be named, had a condition and would not survive after birth.
Nicholas Beasley was born four weeks later in May 2017, and lived for 66 minutes.
"He was very sick, so he didn't make it," Mrs Beasley said.
At Canberra Hospital, the family was gifted a Cuddle Cot, which is a cooling system designed to delay natural processes for little ones who have passed away. It let them have three more days with Nicholas; invaluable time captured by professional photographers from volunteer organisation Heartfelt.
The Beasleys went on to raise nearly $6000 for Cuddle Cot supplier Bears of Hope in 2017, partly through their first The Canberra Times Fun Run. The money covered the cost of one of the units for a hospital, which could be lent to many families.
"We stayed awake because we didn't want them to take Nicholas off us," Mrs Beasley said.
"We didn't know they existed until the midwife wheeled the Cuddle Cot in.
"It was a gift of time."
Continuing the tradition of paying the support they received forward, the family ran the Times fun run again in 2018; this time, to raise money for Heartfelt. Nathan Beasley has done a 66-kilometre bike ride around Canberra to honour Nicholas since 2017.
Both fundraising efforts are being repeated in 2019, with Nathan having already completed the bike ride. This time, the family will have a new addition in tow - 10-month old Henry Beasley.
"He is our rainbow baby," Mrs Beasley said. "He came 18 months after Nicholas passed.
"[The fun run] helped me get through that initial grieving period, which never goes away, but it's just something we've done onwards."
The Beasley's family and friends will come along for the five-kilometre leg of the run in the name of Heartfelt, as will Henry the teddy bear. The bear was gifted to Nicholas by his uncle, Marcus Boers, after he was born.
When Rachel and Nathan Beasley found out they were having another son, they couldn't shake their love for the name. "We never do our run without our little Henry teddy," 11-year-old Edward Murphy said.
They have so far raised about $1800 for Heartfelt, which takes photos free of charge for bereaved families at a donated cost of $65 a session. Their goal is to reach $2000, with donations able to be made through their My Cause page.
"[The photos Heartfelt took are] the only memories we really have," Mrs Beasley said.
"There's ones that will always be with me, but they do fade, so it's nice to have the photos."
While the run would be an emotional day, the family would support each other through it, Mrs Beasley said.
"Through Heartfelt, we're raising money for a camera kit for a rural hospital that doesn't have [one of their] photographers close by."
The Canberra Times Fun Run is on November 10 beginning at 7.45am with staggered starts for each distance. More information and registration is available online.
About 1500 people have registered to take part so far, with a total of 3500 expected to participate.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
