How amazing #walk1000miler Louisa Burnett from Dornoch in Scotland is coping with health issues and the loss of her infant daughter, while completing an epic charity walk with Rowan, her loyal four-legged companion.
‘On 11th October 2006 I gave birth to my beautiful daughter Inghean Donalda Burnett. She was born in the front seat of her daddy's car into his arms, just a few miles from the hospital. The first 20 days went as perfectly as having a newborn and two older children could be! But on Halloween Inghean was very unsettled and fell asleep early. We had to wake her for her middle-of-the-night feed. She woke again in the morning and was again fed and changed. I was just cradling her in my arms when I turned to my husband and said, "look, Inghean is sleeping", except Inghean flopped in my arms. Our beautiful daughter had passed away to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
‘Our world was turned upside down. Inghean was laid to eternal sleep with my dad – her namesake Donald. He’d given me my passion for the hills, taking me walking and climbing through the Highlands. I had another beautiful baby girl – Sayomi Keiko Imogen – 18 months later, but I’d lost the passion for wandering through the hills; the worry and fear of losing another baby suddenly wouldn't leave me. I did start walking with her – a mile or two here and there, but my feet had found a rhythm that I had lost. In 2012 I lost my mum to cancer, and my wandering started to increase to help with the pain of now having no mum or dad. Then in 2013 my husband suddenly lost his dad and in 2014 he lost his mum.
‘Depression had kicked in for both of us. My husband took up mountain biking to help with the pain, and I carried on with my wandering. I was talking to a friend who informed me another friend's collie had had pups. A few days later I met my collie Rowan. I knew the minute I met him he was going to be my hill dog! We’ve now climbed over 100 mountains together!
‘In 2020 I was hit with serious health issues. I had a blood clot in my left leg, the asthma I’d had as a child had come back, and I was diagnosed with diabetes. I feared my walking would come to an end! So again, the black dog of depression returned and hit me so very hard. I found that taking small walks in the hills and building towards a big challenge walk made me feel better, not only physically but also mentally. I started to go out more and more, finding that wandering, climbing and going massive distances was helping me feel good.
‘This year, Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death charity) posted up about jogging 50 miles in March to help raise funds. I cannot jog or run, but signed up and came up with a plan to walk coast to coast, Croick to Ullapool and back in 24 hours – just over 50 miles! The day before our challenge I posted what we were doing on #walk1000miles and was amazed by how many people were inspired to speak about their own losses and their walking. Soon I was asked for my donation link and I doubled what I’d raised to date! Rowan and I set out and we had all weathers known to man, but we pushed hard and completed our 50 miles in just 22½ hours!
‘#walk1000miles is great – it’s like a massive outdoor family! It’s a place where people don’t look strangely at me – they encourage me and celebrate my achievements, and support me. A thousand miles seems like such a lot, but the encouragement helps push me to get there, to keep going, and to achieve an attitude that says ‘I can do it!’. I think everyone is inspirational with all the hurdles, challenges and amazing walks they do.
‘I’d advise anyone facing similar situations to keep going, but take time to grieve. Don't give up – you’re so much stronger than you could ever imagine.’
