Daniel and Emma McShane with their son, Zach, and baby, Ralph, who died of cot death
A COUPLE, who lost their baby son to cot death, hope to raise awareness about the condition with a charity skydive.
Daniel and Emma McShane, whose son, Ralph, died suddenly at just four months old, hope to raise £3,000 for cot death charity the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).
Gas engineer Daniel, 30, will leap 13,000ft out of a plane in memory of his son.
The jump will take place at Hinton Skydiving Centre, Northamptonshire on Friday, which would have been Ralph’s first birthday.
"Ralph was growing perfectly, he was eating well and always smiling and content. We really had no signs," said office administrator Emma, 30.
"The night before he was laughing with his daddy, no crying, no temperature, nothing.
"That morning was the most horrendous and heart-breaking morning of our lives, and the days, weeks and months that followed have been really hard.
"That’s why we want to raise money for FSID, lots of money, to help research why this happens and hopefully prevent it.
"If we can help stop other families going through what we have been through, it can only be a good thing."
The couple, of Binstead Road, Ryde, have another son, Zach, five, and are expecting another baby. Daniel also has a daughter, Ezmee, seven, from a previous relationship.
They are planning a series of fundraising events for FSID, including a night-time cycle ride around London.
FSID has supported thousands of bereaved families and funded research that has led to a significant reduction in the number of cot deaths.
There were 300 unexplained infant deaths last year, down from 2,500 in 1971, and FSID hopes to cut the number to 200 by 2015.