In memory of my brother Gareth 

Sami Wiggins organised a Mile in Memory Walk during Save a Baby Month 2008 in memory of her brother Gareth who died before she was born. 


Losing a brother or a sister is extremely difficult to come to terms with and must be the most upsetting feeling in the world. The thought of never seeing them again, the sadness of never being able to spend time with them and share experiences together is devastating. The thought of it brings me to tears.

But how should I feel if I never got to meet my own brother? My brother Gareth died of cot death just over a year before I was born. He was only 11 weeks old when he died. 

That day will stay vivid in my parent’s memories for the rest of their lives

I can’t begin to imagine how my mum felt when she had to find baby Gareth dead in his cot. That day will stay vivid in my parent’s memories for the rest of their lives. My mother already had a daughter, Sarah, when Gareth died although she was only two years old and so Sarah has limited memory of him. After me, my brother Ashley was born.

We were told about Gareth from a young age and we’ve seen photos of him. Although it’s very upsetting for mum and dad to talk about Gareth, we still, to this day, think of him as someone special who is looking over us all the time. We are a very close family and I believe this is because of Gareth, keeping us together. 

We knew that Gareth would be there to help us along the way

My brother and I chose to run the London marathon last year and wanted to support FSID as our appreciation for all the support the charity provided to my family at the time of Gareth’s death. Ashley and I knew that the day would be the toughest challenge of our lives but we knew that Gareth would be there to help us along the way. And I believe he did!

I have decided to organise a Mile in Memory walk because FSID gave me a huge amount of support when I ran the marathon and they have helped my parents a great deal over the years. I am therefore happy to help raise funds for FSID as much as I can, as I believe they are an amazing and special charity that need all the support they can get.

I often wonder what Gareth would be like if he was alive today. He would be 26 now. It must be really hard for my parents when the day of his birthday and the anniversary of his death arrives each year. He died at Christmas time so I know that it is a very sad time for my parents. 

A time for us all to think about how lucky we are to have each other

But as a family we stay together which makes us all feel happy. As I never got to meet him, it’s hard to imagine what he would have been like, but I’m grateful to have a wonderful brother and sister that make my world complete. Gareth will never escape from my parent’s memories but taking part in charity events to raise money for FSID is a time for us all to step back and think about how lucky we are to have each other.

Taking part in fundraising events for FSID has made my parents proud and makes me feel happy that I am able to help other families that have been through similar difficult times.

My Mile in Memory walk will be for Gareth and I hope he will walk along our mile with us.

Sami Wiggins, in memory of Gareth