Ben Moorhouse, a father from Halifax, West Yorkshire, will take on two extreme endurance challenges in October to raise funds for stillbirth research, in memory of his daughter Kallipateira, who was stillborn in 2018. The challenges aim to raise £2,626 for the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, where Professor Alexander Heazell leads research into stillbirth prevention.
A decade of loss and hope
On October 24, 2018, Ben and his partner Gaynor were told that their daughter Kallipateira had died at 37 weeks of pregnancy. Two days later, on October 26, Kallipateira was born. The family then experienced a miscarriage at nine weeks of pregnancy in May 2019.
In May 2020, their son Apollon was born at 35 weeks at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester, following specialist care. His arrival brought hope to a family that had experienced profound loss. The experiences of Kallipateira and Apollon became the driving force behind Ben’s determination to support stillbirth research and raise awareness of baby loss.
Two challenges in October
Through The Kallipateira Moorhouse Foundation, Ben has continued to support research and awareness aimed at helping reduce stillbirth and improve outcomes for families. In July 2026, Ben completed another extreme challenge at the Ancient Stadium of Rhodes, completing 260 lengths of the central track in 11½ hours in the extreme Greek heat and humidity.
Now he is preparing to take on two further challenges in October. On Saturday, October 10, during Baby Loss Awareness Week, starting at 3am, Ben will take on: Shibden Wall 26 times, Trooper Lane 26 times, and a 30-mile walk from Halifax to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. The challenge is for every single parent who has experienced baby loss, and in remembrance of their babies.
A birthday tribute in Rhodes
On Monday, October 26, Kallipateira’s eighth birthday, Ben will take on an extreme challenge in Rhodes, Greece: 26 times up the Prophet Elias Monastery Mountain Road in Faliraki, an eight-mile walk to Tsambika Monastery (eight miles for Kallipateira’s eighth birthday), and at Tsambika Monastery, 300 steps, 26 times. The monastery is traditionally associated with prayers for fertility and the gift of a child, and is a deeply personal place for Ben and Gaynor, who prayed there for their son Apollon in the summer of 2019.
Ben said: “October is the most difficult month of the year for our family, with dates we will never forget. On October 24, we were told that Kallipateira had died, and October 26 is her eighth birthday.”
Turning grief into action
Ben’s fundraising supports stillbirth research, including the work of Professor Alexander Heazell and his team at the Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. Ben said: “Through my grief, and because of the love I have for my daughter, I want to turn an incredibly difficult time into something positive by taking on two extreme challenges. The challenge during Baby Loss Awareness Week is for every single parent who has experienced baby loss, and in remembrance of their babies. The challenge in Rhodes is a symbol of love for Kallipateira. To take on an extreme challenge on my daughter’s actual birthday will be emotional from start to finish. But if we can raise vital funds for stillbirth research and help make a difference for other families in the future, then it will be worth every step.”
Ben hopes the challenges will raise vital funds for research while also helping keep conversations about baby loss and stillbirth going during Baby Loss Awareness Week and throughout October. For Ben, the challenges are about turning an incredibly painful month into action - 26 for Kallipateira. Two Challenges. One Promise. To support Ben’s October Extreme Challenges, visit the website at www.justgiving.com/page/octoberchallenge.
