Charlee Clare Holmes was born on April 29, 2011.
“She was only given a small amount of time in this world with us and, sadly, we said hello and goodbye to our beautiful girl in the same day,” said her mom, Mallory. “The pain of losing Charlee will never get easier for us.”
Sixteen months after Charlee’s death, Mallory and Dave Holmes welcomed a son, Keenan, into the world. But within two weeks, Keenan became very ill and was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Orillia’s Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH).
Keenan was in the unit “for 11 of the most stressful, terrifying and emotionally draining days of our lives,” said Mallory. “We are forever indebted to this hospital and its staff for saving our son’s life.”
When the Holmes family learned that NICU was in need of support, they quickly saw a way to create a legacy for their daughter and help raise much-needed funds for a vital component of the hospital.
“As parents, you watch your children make mistakes, find accomplishments, find a purpose in life, and grow their own legacy. But when you are the parents of a child who has passed away, those milestones are taken away,” said Mallory. “But as her parents, we know her life, however brief it was, has meaning and purpose, beyond just being our story of pain and loss.”
With that in mind, last April, the inaugural Charlee’s Run was organized to raise funds for the NICU while also raising awareness about pregnancy and infant loss. “We were overwhelmed when over 400 people came out raising over $40 000,” said Mallory.
Because of the overwhelming response and support, the family has decided to make the fun run an annual event. “It is our hope that Charlee’s Run will continue to be an outlet for the community to come together to remember and celebrate the tiny lives lost too soon, while raising funds to support our community’s most vulnerable of patients,” said Mallory.
According to Holmes, one in four pregnancies ends in loss. Given this fact, she said, most of us know someone whose life and family have been touched by a prenatal or infant loss. “The loss of a child is something that no person should ever have to endure, but sadly, happens much too often,” she said. “Often, these losses are dealt with in silence with families struggling to find support.”
This year’s Charlee’s Run, a one/five-kilometre family fun run/walk, will take place at Couchiching Beach Park on April 28. The event will benefit the “neo-natal and pediatric needs” at OSMH. For more information about the event, to participate or donate, go to www.charleesrun.com
