A mum from Shavington, Crewe has launched: 'Sonny's Sunday' a day to raise charity funds in tribute of her son.

Rachel Kirkham, landlady of The Talbot in Nantwich, has launched a charity appeal in aid of The Lullaby Trust to raise funds for families affected by cot death, in memory of her baby son, Sonny.

The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support for bereaved families.

At 12pm on Sunday 17th April, the fifth anniversary of her son's death, Rachel will be shaving off her hair in the grounds of the Nantwich pub and hopes to raise as much sponsorship money as possible between now and then.

Explaining why she chose this fundraising activity, Rachel said: "In 2007, when I was just 17 years old, I lost all my hair due to an autoimmune disease called Alopecia Totalis. As you can imagine, to a 17-year-old girl this seemed like the end of the world.

"It was the biggest challenge I had ever faced and it took a terrible toll on me.

"Fast forward to March 7th 2017 and our perfect son arrived in our lives. We named him Sonny, and we had six precious weeks with him.

"On April 17th 2017, our dream as new parents became a nightmare. When we awoke that morning our lives changed instantly, and forever. Sonny was gone.

"We lost Sonny to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which is often referred to as cot death. SIDS is the sudden and unexpected death of a baby and is still unexplainable since the cause remains unclear.

"Once, losing my hair seemed like the worst thing that could ever happen to me. Now, in comparison with the pain of losing Sonny, it seems completely trivial.

"On March 7th 2022 my son would have turned five. Instead of blowing out candles and celebrating another milestone, I launched Sonny's Sunday in his memory.

"Easter Sunday this year will be the fifth anniversary of my son's passing, when I will be shaving off my hair to raise funds for The Lullaby Trust. This is Sonny's Sunday – my tribute to my son."

Rachel is keen to make a difference to future parents and to help other families going through the indescribable agony of losing a child to SIDS.

As well as providing information about safer sleep for babies and raising awareness of SIDS, The Lullaby Trust supports vital research into the causes and prevention of SIDS and runs a national health-visitor led service which supports bereaved families before and after the birth of their next child.

Rachel added: "People can support Sonny's Sunday using the online link, or visit The Talbot where we have collection points available. Every donation will be so gratefully received and will go to a hugely important and worthwhile cause."

Rachel can be sponsored at GoFundMe here.

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