Filmmakers and social media influencers Niamh and Jordan Mulligan, from Nottingham, are two of the siblings behind the inspirational YouTube channel, MulliganBrothers, which boosts over 1.8 million subscribers.
Along with their other siblings, they create motivational films that inspire people to change their life for the better. Now the pair are taking on two inspirational challenges to raise money for Sands, in memory of Jordan’s son Jacob who was stillborn at around 34 weeks in 2015.
“Jacob was a very long baby,” remembers Jordan. “He had a head full of dark hair and big hands and big feet. He would have been tall. He had beautiful little lips and was exactly what I imagined he would look like.
For the first nine years after Jacob died, I carried a lot of pain around. I was easily hurt and I felt like I had to go and visit Jacob’s grave to be able to have a conversation with him because mentally for me, that’s where he was - at the cemetery in his grave in the ground.
It was when I was running from Scotland to Nottingham carrying a headstone on my back for Jacob that I had a huge, transformative shift in my thinking. I realised Jacob is always with me. He’s in the work I do, in fact, he’s the reason I started Mulligan Brothers and started to create content that inspires others, he’s in nature and he’s in the conversations I have. Today I carry Jacob in my heart.”
As a grieving father I remember feeling very, very lonely
“In the first two weeks after Jacob died, I couldn't feel anything,” recalls Jordan. “I was upset initially then I just went completely numb to the world. I couldn’t even cry. I thought I'm broken, something's wrong with me. It felt suffocating not to be able to feel any emotion so I was googling to try and figure out what was wrong with me, but I couldn’t find anything about it.
"Attending a Sands Group in Nottingham changed that for me.
"At the group I explained how I was feeling and another dad told me that he’d felt the same way after losing his baby. Learning that he'd gone through the same thing must have unlocked something for me because while I was driving home that night my grief hit me again, I was crying so much that I had to pull my car over.
"I think knowing that there was somebody else out there who had felt the same way I did took away my anger and frustration and the feeling that I was the only dad who knew what this felt like. That dad sharing unlocked everything and I started to be able to grieve again, so the support from Sands had a hugely positive impact on me.”
After the bereavement support Jordan received from Sands, Niamh and Jordan decided to run two iconic marathons to raise awareness and funds for the charity.
The pair are running the London Marathon in April followed by the Berlin Marathon in September. They share why these marathons are so important to them.
“In the first few years after Jacob passed, I didn't say his name because I found it difficult to know what to say and I was worried I’d hurt Jordan,” remembers Niamh, “but I later found out that Jordan wanted Jacob to be part of conversations and he wanted us to say his name like we would if he was alive. He didn't want his little boy to be hidden.”
“I remember so many situations when people would leave the room if I said anything about Jacob,” recalls Jordan, “but talking about him is important to me. As a bereaved parent, it’s sad because you grieve losing your baby, but you also grieve the ability to talk about and to honour them. Not being able to do that over the years is a burden that I’ve carried.”
And that’s why Niamh running the London Marathon in honour of Jacob means so much to Jordan
“The fact that Niamh is running the London Marathon with Jacob's name on her vest means the world to me,” says Jordan. “It's the ultimate version of somebody saying his name. It makes me so proud and fills me with so much love that she’s outwardly speaking about Jacob, doing something for him, training really hard and raising money for Sands. It's a huge celebration of my son. It’s just the best.”
“I’m excited to wear Jacob’s name on my running vest on race day to show that every mile I run is for my nephew” says Niamh, “but it’s also my way of shining a light on the wider impact of baby loss, including on family and friends who are supporting someone they love.”
Jordan is looking forward to wearing Jacob’s name on his own running vest too. “Having Jacob’s name for other people to see on my running vest is really, really special,” he shares. “I absolutely love wearing Jacob’s name. When I run with his name on me it almost feels like I’m wearing a superhero cape, like he’s helping me by giving me power and strength.”
As well as running for her own family Niamh says on her hardest training days, it’s a huge motivator knowing that her marathon challenges will help other families too
“Sands supported my brother during one of the darkest periods of his life. Now I want to give something back, because support services like Sands are vital. Running and raising money for Sands is a way of raising awareness so family or friends who know someone going through baby loss can tell them about Sands and the support that's available.
For me, running through London isn’t just a marathon; it’s a promise to keep talking about baby loss so that no other family feels they have to go through it alone.”
Similarly, the Berlin Marathon, which Jordan and Niamh are taking on in September 2026, is a chance for them to represent the pregnancy and baby loss community
“Doing physical challenges in honour of Jacob has always been one of the ways I express my love for him,” shares Jordan, “but the Berlin Marathon feels like more than that. It feels like I’m flying the flag for stillbirth, for Sands and for pregnancy and baby loss awareness, sharing how widespread it is and how it impacts so many people.”
Both Niamh and Jordan feel strongly that we need to talk about pregnancy and baby loss more
“Because it’s a loss that’s everywhere,” says Niamh. “Anyone, anywhere could be going through pregnancy or baby loss so talking about it helps, because when we don't talk about it, if someone goes through it, they and their family and friends can often feel very alone.”
“Baby loss should be a huge conversation,” adds Jordan. “It should be current, it should be frequent and it shouldn't be a special thing that we only talk about during an awareness week once a year. The fact that it's still taboo to talk about stillbirth and other types of pregnancy and baby loss has got to change. We’ve got to shake that up, so the voices that are talking about it and the people who are running, raising money and supporting Sands really matter.”.
Feeling inspired to fundraise for Sands in memory?
Whether it's a virtual race, organised run, skydive or walk we have the perfect event for you to sign up to, or you can choose to support Sands in the way that feels best for you.
Support for you
Here at Sands, we know that talking about pregnancy and baby loss can be difficult. Please know that you are not alone, and there are people who understand and whom you can speak to in confidence.
Sands Helpline
t: 0808 164 3332
e: helpline@sands.org.uk