WARRINGTON couple Anna and Neil Ryder are hoping that the sky really is the limit in their bid to have a sleek new jetliner named after the son that was tragically taken from them just weeks after birth.
And to make their dream come true they need people to click the button as part of a national competition and vote for little Lucas.
Anna, 30, was rushed to Warrington Hospital in May when her waters broke at just over 23 weeks. She received injections to help strengthen the unborn child but admits that she and dad Neil, 34, feared the worst.
“It was the most frightening time of my life,” said schoolteacher Anna. “I feared we had lost our baby. The moment we heard his little heart beat I was brought to tears, our baby was still with us.”
Anna was transferred to the Liverpool Women’s Hospital where their son, Lucas Alexander Ryder, was born at 24 weeks, he weighed just 1lb, 6oz.
The couple endured a tense 18 days in the neonatal unit as their son battled to hold on to life. However, on the 19th day, he developed an infection that proved too much for his tiny body and he died in their arms.
“Our son was was the greatest fighter I’ve ever known,” said dad Neil, who works as an accountant. “He was loved by his nurses because he was such a character. Lucas was our first born son and always will be. The past year has been the hardest of our lives but, with support, we know we can get through it and learn to live with the memories.”
Anna had suffered a condition called Preterm, Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM). It is a condition where the waters break before 37 weeks.
Now, the couple, who live in Moore, are determined to raise awareness about the condition and support research into it.
They have already raised £5,000 for the Kitty Charity at the Liverpool Women’s, to help fund new equipment.
And now they want to help create a lasting tribute to their son by winning the competition to name a new plane. Holiday giant Thomson has launched a competition to name its brand new Dreamliner passenger plane.
The couple want as many members of the public to vote online for the name they have chosen in honour of their son, the Star Wars inspired – Lucas Sky Ryder.
Anna said: “We didn’t get to be traditional parents and we only have weeks of memories, but he’ll be in our hearts forever. This is why we have entered Lucas into the competition, so he can have a set of bigger and better wings.”
“Lucas needs as much support as possible to get him into the top five, we need to collect about 20,000 votes, so we are appealing to everyone to take two seconds to vote for him.”
The competition closes at noon on Sunday November 16 and you can vote for Lucas on the following link:
www.nameourplane.com/name/lucas-sky-ryder
