We are walking from Leyland to Blackpool for what would have been our baby Ariya's first birthday

Natasha Duong, 36, and Jon Acornley, 37, will walk 20 miles on Saturday alongside family and friends to raise money for Chorley’s Derian House Children’s Hospice.

Their daughter, Ariya Leigh Acornley, was born on February 15, 2024, and lived for just 17 hours.

She spent the following six days in one of Derian House’s special cold rooms, which gave her family more precious time to spend with her.

For parents Natasha and Jon, their journey to Blackpool holds a special significance in their hearts, as it is where they were able to take Ariya on one final late-night trip to see the sand and stars after she had passed away – with help from staff at Derian House.

Blackpool has since become a special place they call "Ariya’s place," where they can go whenever they want to feel close to her.

Derian House is now working closely with police and coroners to put in place a protocol to support families in situations like this, which will hopefully be shared across the country as best practice.

Natasha said: “Of all the incredible things Derian did for us, the most meaningful was making it possible for us to take Ariya to Blackpool.

“My family has always loved doing something crazy, like taking a trip to Blackpool at midnight. It is something I have continued with my own children. And while at Derian, we decided we wanted to do this with Ariya.

“I didn’t believe it we would be allowed to because it’s not a normal thing to do. But the staff at Derian House did everything they could to make sure we were able to do this safely.”

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She added: “We had a beautiful, emotional time - it was perfect.

“We made our way on to Blackpool beach with Ariya, along with my mum Lorraine, my two sisters Jade and Nikita, and my brother Ben.

“We lit candles in the sand. We showed Ariya the lights, the tower, the sand, the sea, and the stars. I even found a shell to place in her hand. This will forever be one of the most beautiful incredible nights of my life and I’m just so thankful to have this memory to take with me.

“Our warrior princess fought and fought, and when Ariya took her last breath in my arms, I knew our lives would be changed forever.”

“Donations are vital to make sure that Derian House can continue helping families who experience what we have, which is why we will be walking from Leyland to Blackpool in memory of our beautiful Ariya.”

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Natasha and Jon will walk from Leyland to Blackpool alongside 20 others including Ariya’s brother Leighton, and her sisters Skye and Anna, along with Ariya’s nanny Lorraine, and Ariya’s aunts and uncles.

If you would like to make a donation to the Blackpool walk in memory of Ariya click HERE.