A north-east mum has undertaken a challenging 17-mile coastal walk in memory of her son, who loved visits to the seaside.
Accompanied by friends, relatives and supporters, Michelle Ravello trekked from Findhorn to Lossiemouth to raise money towards a cooling blanket which will allow bereaved families to spend more time with their children in the days following their death.
She hopes to present the £3,800 item to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as a tribute to her son Jayden, who died suddenly when he was 10.
Despite being sunburnt and nursing stiff legs, Mrs Ravello was delighted at having done the youngster proud when she completed the gruelling walk.
The 31-year-old said: “It felt like more than 17 miles, especially in the heat, but we made it.
“Some of Jayden’s friends joined us for the whole walk, which was very impressive.
“It meant a lot to us to have so much support, and it left like Jayden was with us in spirit.
“He loved going to the beach, walking the coastline and climbing up the cliffs.
“We finished the walk at the West Beach in Lossiemouth, which was his favourite spot to visit.”
Jayden’s little brother, Tyrese, joined the 30-strong group at Burghead and trotted alongside his mum for the final eight miles.
Jayden died in his sleep in October 2016, after showing no obvious signs of being ill.
It later emerged that he had an undetected “one in a million” condition, and his death was attributed to an abdominal hernia and intestinal infarction which obstructed his blood supply.
Mrs Ravello has since resolved to ensure that grieving families are able to spend as much time as possible with their children after they die.
She and her husband, Kerry, donated one of the special blankets worth £3,800 to Dr Gray’s Hospital in their hometown of Elgin in March.
The special mat preserves bodies, and the couple plan to donate one to Ninewell’s Hospital in Dundee as well.
Mrs Ravello said: “We know how important it is for families to spend that extra time with their child.
“If just one parent has that experience,which we didn’t get to have, then it will be worth it.”
In the days after Jayden died, about 500 people turned out at Cooper Park to release balloons into the air in a celebration of his life.