I would like to raise some money for the local Kettering Baby Care Unit.

I am running my first Half Marathon in Peterborough on October 13th 2019, The Perkins Great Eastern Run. I only started running last year so this is quite a challenge for me and I thought it would be a good opportunity to stretch myself and also raise some money for a really great cause.

This is a cause very close to my heart as the unit helped care for my daughter Rosie who was born 9 weeks prematurely in March 2009 weighing just 3.9 lbs! Rosie spent over 4 weeks in the unit and without the skilful and meticulous care of the nurses and doctors it is unlikely that she would have survived.

Rosie is now a very healthy, happy and active 10 year old girl, this all seems like a long time ago now, but I will never forget how kind helpful and caring the staff were.

The care that the nurses and doctors provide is crucial for a premature/sick babies survival; they provide 24/7 care for the babies, along with supporting parents through their emotional ordeal. And it is tough, without them and all the special equipment they have

The unit consists of a number of cots including: for babies requiring intensive care; babies needing high dependency care; and other special care cots. The unit is staffed by doctors and nurses with specialist skills and experience in looking after premature and sick babies.

There are many different reasons for a baby to be admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit. A baby may have been born earlier than expected or may need extra monitoring following birth. Babies admitted to the unit may need help with their breathing, feeding, temperature control, weight gain and may need close observation.

My family will forever be thankful for all the support and care given to my beautiful daughter at the hardest time of our lives.

Any donation would gratefully be received and will go towards providing the essentials for both babies and parents.