Norfolk dad cycles 300 miles in memory of son, raising funds for bereavement support
Local cyclist Chris Cooper will complete his last ride today for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
A dad from Norfolk is taking on the final leg of a 300-mile cycling challenge to honour the memory of his son, Oakley, and raise funds for bereavement support.
Oakley Anthony Cooper was stillborn on 8th July 2025, leaving his family heartbroken. To commemorate his son, Chris Cooper has embarked on three separate 100-mile cycling events over the summer months, with the last ride scheduled for today (6th September).
Chris's efforts are aimed at raising money for the Bereavement Midwifery Department at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH), which provided invaluable support to him and his family during this challenging period.
The funds will also benefit the Meadow Suite, a facility that helps families spend precious final moments with their babies.
What began as a personal tribute to Oakley, and a way of dealing with grief, has grown into a fundraising campaign, thanks to the generosity of friends and family:
" I started cycling a couple of years ago, mainly in the benefit of my own health, nd then when Oakley passed away,
For a while I was using it as a place to direct my grief. But once I'd got past the first initial intense stage of the grief, it all became about,
turning it into something good, making it into something that is a memory we can be proud of as a family that we've done to help others that have been through our situation," Chris said.
Chris has already raised over £3,125 for the Meadow Suite, ensuring crucial resources are available for other families facing similar grief:
"It allows parents to get that vital time to spend with them and make some memories that will last forever. To allow people to grieve and to allow people to not feel like
their loss doesn't matter and their loss will be forgotten. It's super, super important."
Chris expressed hope that his fundraising might support other families facing similar circumstances and genuinely make a difference.
One of the changes he would like to add to the suit, is more opportunities to take pictures with their son.
Chris says he looks foward to working with the nurses and hearing what they like to add too.