A WILSDEN man is gearing up to do a barefoot walk to raise money for a charity that helps families who have suffered the loss of a baby.

Daniel Lee, who lives on Lingfield Grove in Wilsden, wants to raise money for the charity Tommy's, who supported his family after he and his partner, Jade McCulloch, lost their stillborn son, Tommy Daniel, just over a year ago on January 23, 2020, at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

"My partner carried him nearly full term but she had a placenta abruption and he was already a small baby, " said Mr Lee. "By the time we got to the delivery room, his heartbeat had stopped.

"She was 35 weeks along when we lost him. He was getting so close to term - that's what hurt the most.

"And my partner Jade was so poorly afterwards. She almost died.

However, the Wilsden couple really suffered after the loss of their baby, a loss which was even more difficult because of lockdown.

"We have a four-year-old son, Riley, and he was looking to meeting him and being a big brother.

"I was in a really bad state," said Mr Lee. "There was nothing I could do. I was really struggling with the lockdown too. Losing my soon really messed me up.

"If it weren't for the charity Tommy's, we probably wouldn't be here."

Mr Lee said the comfort and support offered by the charity was invaluable to both him and Jade.

"This charity helps fathers as much as mothers."

And because of all their help and support, Mr Lee wants to give back to Tommy's by doing a barefoot walk.

The walk will take place on Saturday, January 23, the one-year anniversary of their loss of Tommy Daniel.

The barefoot walk is eight miles long and will start from Mr Lee's house in Wilsden and will take him down Haworth Road, on to Sandy Lane, down towards Cottingley, up towards Bingley and then Harden and back to Wilsden.

The walk will mostly be on the road with some footpaths as well, taking in a lot of different surfaces.

Mr Lee has already done a practice run but realises once he takes his shoes off he will be in for a big challenge, one he expects will be painful incurring several cuts along the way.

"It's a pretty challenge as I've never done anything like it before," said Mr Lee. "But if it raises money for this charity, what's a few cuts. It doesn't even come close to the pain you feel when you don't hear you baby's heart beating anymore."

Mr Lee has been overwhelmed by the response ever since launching the appeal on Facebook earlier this week.

"The appeal raised £300 in the first hour and over £700 after just 24 hours," he said. "It's gone through the roof.

"People have literally been emptying their purses, which is crazy."

He said in addition to friends, family and local people who have donated, Mr Lee said businesses like the Co-op in Wilsden and Vicarage Ink at Greengates have donated. The latter, in addition to a monetary donation, printed a T-shirt bearing a which shows and picture and mentions his barefoot walk for Tommy's.

But despite all of the difficulties that he and his partner have had dealing with the loss of Tommy Daniel, Mr Lee is very much looking forward to doing the walk.

"Instead of it being a doom and gloom day, I wanted to turn it into something positive."