Penryn postman's marathon effort

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A Penryn postman, who is running the Cornish Marathon in memory of his daughter, is appealing for Packet readers' support.

Matt Walters, aged 37, lost May Rose this summer when she was born without a heartbeat.

To honour her memory, he is now preparing to embark on the East Cornwall Harrier's 26 mile sponsored endurance race around Bodmin Moor this weekend.

He said: “I decided to do it when we lost the baby. I was really upset and quite angry.

“But keeping your mind busy is the key. I thought if I was focused and keeping my mind busy then it makes it easier.”

First-time marathon-runner Matt, who has been in training for the last few months, is raising money for Sands, a UK charity that provide support for bereaved parents and families.

He said: “Sands has been a great help. You can phone them up and talk to them any time.

“It's just nice knowing that you have got that background and the money will go into research for miscarriages and supporting families like ourselves.”

The emotional turmoil that Matt and his wife experienced following the loss of May Rose was what spurned him on to do something for the charity that had provided that safety net of support.

He contacted them and they sent him a branded vest at the same time as a workmate handed over Matt's first £10 of sponsorship - a turn of events that convinced him this was the right thing to do, for May Rose.

He said: “She was our first child; we thought she was going to be our first child.

“We kind of got our mind set that it was happening but then we found out that there was no heartbeat - my wife gave birth to her on May 14.

“Every day we think about her and it's really hard.”

Matt's target total is £500 and he's committed to reaching that goal, having already raised more than half that amount through his online fundraising page.

He said: “I'm determined not to walk it - my boss has sponsored me by the mile but only if I run every mile.”

“It's going to be a fun day, but quite an emotional day as well.”

Packet readers can sponsor Matt by visiting his JustGiving donation webpage at http://www.justgiving.com/matt-walters0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;