Published: 21 March 2023
Following a difficult first pregnancy, Stuart and Ami Geddes were eager for their second child’s arrival into the world to be trouble-free.
Those hopes were shattered, however, when baby Clark had to be delivered after just 24 weeks in order to save his mother’s life.
Tragically, he died 12 days later, leaving his parents in a state of deep grief.
Fast forward two years and Stuart is now preparing to run his second London Marathon in a row in a bid to prevent other parents suffering the same pain Ami and himself went through.
The Erskine man admits it was a terrifying experience for both parents as the events unfolded in January 2021.
Stuart, 38, told The Gazette: “Ami’s blood pressure hit the roof, so we had to go into hospital and we were told it was the start of pre-eclampsia.
“My wife was seconds away from going into a coma and the doctors warned me there was a very high chance she might not pull through.
“They tried to keep the baby in for as long as they possibly could but he had to be delivered, as Ami’s blood pressure was out of control.”
Ami, who had her first son Camdyn at 29 weeks of pregnancy, has a higher chance of developing pre-eclampsia due to being a Type-1 diabetic.
It is the most common of the serious complications of pregnancy and, in severe cases, can be fatal for both mum and baby.
Although the exact cause of pre-eclampsia is not known, it is thought to occur when there is a problem with the placenta – the organ that links the baby’s blood supply to the mother’s.
The only way to cure the condition is to deliver the baby, which is normally at around 37 to 38 weeks of pregnancy but can be earlier in more severe cases.
Stuart said: “It was such a terrible, traumatic experience that I can’t fully describe it. I wasn’t expecting anything like that to happen.
“My little boy was tiny when he was born via Caesarean and then he was in the incubator. He just wasn’t strong enough to survive.
“It’s not the way it’s meant to be. You’re meant to walk out of the hospital holding your wife’s hand and your baby in the other.”
After Clark’s death, Stuart was keen to find a way to help prevent other parents from suffering a similar loss.
He contacted Action on Pre-eclampsia – a charity which aims to raise public and professional awareness of the condition, as well as improve care and ease or prevent physical and emotional suffering caused by the disease.
Stuart said: “I told them my story and how upset I was and the person I spoke to told me that many people working at the charity have been affected by pre-eclampsia and knew how I felt.
“They asked if I’d be interested in running in the London Marathon for the charity and, as I was already into fitness, I told them I would love to do it.”
Stuart completed last year’s event with his 38-year-old best friend Graeme Anderson, as well as organising a Super Clark’s Golf Day fundraiser for the worthy cause.
His efforts have so far raised more than £12,000 for Action on Pre-eclampsia, with the former Park Mains High pupil being named as the charity’s top fundraiser for 2022.
Now Stuart, Graeme and five other close friends are preparing to take part in this year’s London Marathon on Sunday, April 23.
The pals who have signed up for the event – Stewart Murison, Chris Farmer, Paul Duffy and married couple Remo and Collette Pallisco – have never tackled a marathon before.
Stuart said: “They are all long-term friends I’ve known since I was in school and we still do a lot together.
“We are all training hard for the marathon. I ran it in three hours and 50 minutes last year, so I’m planning to be a bit quicker than that next month.
“It’s nice to have such close friends that would do this for me and my family. It’s so heartwarming and has really helped us through a tough time.”
Stuart is organising a race night at Renfrew Golf Club, on Friday, April 7, to raise funds.
He is also planning to hold another Super Clark’s Golf Day on July 28 to help Action on Pre-eclampsia continue to carry out research into the condition.
“The charity writes methodology and helps doctors around the world with things like preventative care,” said Stuart.
“It should ultimately lead to more measures being put in place so people don’t have to go through the same trauma that we went through.”
Stuart and 36-year-old Ami have been told that, while they could potentially conceive another child together, there is a high chance it would lead to a similar outcome as last time.
As a result, the couple and four-year-old Camdyn are set to soon welcome a new addition to their family via a surrogate.
Stuart said: “It’s been such a rollercoaster ride and a hard, difficult experience but this has been a wee light at the end of the tunnel.
“We’re hoping for a positive outcome, as we’ve done everything we can to protect our family and our third kid as best as we can.
“I think one of my life ambitions will be to grow the Clark fundraising team every year because I want to keep my wee boy’s memory alive.”
To support Stuart’s fundraising efforts, visit actiononpreeclampsia.enthuse.com/pf/superclark23-66a62.
Source: The Gazette
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