A WOMAN who helps run a support group for bereaved parents despite the tragedy of a stillbirth and a miscarriage in just six months, has won a courage award.

Grace Detoeuf won the award from baby charity Tommy’s for facing adversity on her road to parenthood but showing great strength and resilience.

The Tommy’s Awards, now in its 22nd year, recognise heroes of families who have been touched by pregnancy complications or the loss of a baby.

After two years of trying, Grace, 26, and husband Anthony Detoeuf, 35, were delighted to be expecting a baby and started planning for the future, buying a pram and decorating the nursery at their home near Skipton.

There were no complications until Mrs Detoeuf noticed she had not felt felt her baby move. The couple were given the worst news that their baby had died and on October 10 last year their son Louis was born sleeping.

In March 2016, the couple were expecting again and early scans were positive but at nine weeks another scan found there was no heartbeat.

During that time Mrs Detoeuf had also lost a grandad to dementia and her adopted grandad suddenly, which added to her heartbreak.

As a way of coping with her grief, Mrs Detoeuf decided she wanted to help others and started to arrange a charity ball to raise money for stillbirth charities. She is now part of a team at Airedale Hospital and has helped set up the Sunbeam Support Group for other parents who have suffered the loss of a baby.

Her husband nominated her for the Tommy's award and the couple were delighted to bring five-week-old son Ruben to the ceremony.

Mr Detoeuf said: “Grace has been so strong, in such a short space of time she has endured so much yet still wants to support others. She is brave, resilient, strong and selfless and she deserves to be recognised for her courage. She will always be a mummy to Louis.”

To find out more about the Sunbeam Support group, call 01535 605272 or 07484 056363.

In the UK, more than 3,200 families each year experience the death of their baby after 24 weeks of pregnancy. The death of a child before birth has an enduring impact for parents and families with 4.2 million women worldwide living with symptoms of depression following a stillbirth.

Stillbirth places a significant burden on maternity services - a stillbirth costs 70 per cent more than a comparable live birth and the death of their child impacts on every area of parents’ lives including their employment, relationships and experience of subsequent pregnancies.

This burden for parents, health services and wider society demands action, research and more funding, according to the charity Tommy's.