Memorial football game honours stillborn baby
Family handoutA memorial football match is set to take place on Sunday in West Sussex.
The event at Steyning Town FC has been organised by Will Bower and his wife Kayley in memory of their son Billy, who was stillborn in April 2023.
Mr Bower said he wanted to raise money for Sands United – a charity that helps dads deal with bereavement through a shared love of football.
"Men are notoriously bad at talking about feelings," he told BBC Radio Sussex, adding that football was a "good vehicle" for helping those experiencing grief.
'Very lonely time'
He called Sands a "great charity", which had allowed him to be part of a "brotherhood" of people who understood what he was going through.
Ms Bower had also been helped by a support group at the charity.
She took part in a Sands women's game, playing for her son Billy, a few weeks ago.
"Everyone tries to understand," Mr Bower said. "But until you have been through it yourself it is very difficult.
"It's a very lonely time after a loss. You feel like you're the only person who it has ever happened to."
Sands United Brighton and Hove's squad of bereaved fathers is set to play against Mr Bower's team of family and friends, Billy's All-Stars.
Two years on, Mr Bower said things were just as hard now as they were the day his son died.
"Sands is one of the best things that happened to us since," he added.
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