Moo and Boo Charity Walk

Three weeks after our twin girls, Martha and Betty, were born they developed a cough and a sniffle. Martha eventually stopped feeding and it was decided both our girls should be admitted to the Children’s Ward at the Cumberland Infirmary. Over the weekend both of them were put on oxygen and fed by a tube and we were told they had bronchiolitis (little did we know an all too common virus).

This virus creates a lot of sticky mucus which drips onto your lungs, making it incredibly difficult to breathe. 4 days into our stay and given that Betty was only 4lb 14oz at birth her lungs were incredibly small and she started to really struggle. Essentially her lungs just could not supply the oxygen her body needed and the NHS had to act! Betty was intubated at Carlisle and with a Doctor using a bag to breathe for her we waited for NECTAR (North East and Cumbria Transport and Retrieval Team) – this unbelievable service is a retrieval service for children who need specialist care. They sent over a paediatric consultant and specialist nurse from the Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to ensure that Betty had the best care possible in her transfer over to the RVI. It had everything they needed for an intubated baby – essentially it was a mobile ventilator.

Betty then spent 11 heart wrenching days on a ventilator on PICU at the RVI. This was a whole new world of learning for us as we watched, helpless, as doctors and nurses took over her care! She had tubes, needles and wires everywhere! All this time Martha was still in the Cumberland Infirmary (with her Granny and daily visits from Sim or I), still incredibly poorly and Molly was at home with Auntie MJ.

After 4 weeks our girls pulled round, Martha was discharged first, Betty was moved back to Carlisle (Via NECTAR) and eventually discharged 7 days after Martha. I am in no doubt that without the incredible Children’s Ward at Carlisle and NECTAR that our little Betty Boo would not have survived and we will be for ever grateful to the NHS for looking after Moo and Boo.

So on the first anniversary of Martha and Betty going into hospital (28th May) Simon and a group of friends are setting off to walk Betty’s journey from the Cumberland Infirmary to the RVI, 111km over Hadrians Wall to raise money for the Children’s Ward at the Cumberland Infirmary and the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation.

So we would be extremely grateful if you could donate to these two life saving Foundations to support every child during such a critical time.