Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

We are running the Brighton half marathon to raise money for Sparks  pioneering children's medical research.

Any support you can give us will be massively appreciated.   Because Sparks funds research into such a wide range of conditions affecting babies and children, from meningitis to childhood cancer, premature birth and childhood arthritis, it can be hard to choose one example. 

We think Cara's experience of giving birth to Ptloy here in Brighton  illustrates why it is so important.  Here is her story:

Going into labour with my third child was going to be easy! My second daughter entered the world relatively quickly in comparison to her older sister so baby number 3 should be quick. As my waters broke a sense of excitement filled me....would it be a boy or another girl?

On arrival at the hospital the Midwife suggested the birthing pool but was uncertain if I would make it as the contractions were coming quickly. By the time I entered the pool I was almost ready to push. Finally, a water birth that I had always wanted! After pushing for 30 mins or so the Midwife asked to examine me out of the pool and called another midwife to assist. Within minutes they had me in various positions instructing me to push as we needed to get the baby out. Finally, a baby was placed on my tummy as one midwife hit the emergency button and the other told me to rub him. Little did I realise quite what was happening.

The midwife told us we had a boy and he was whisked away, within a minute, as a the paediatricians started to work on him. What felt like a life time passed and we were told that he was very ill and had suffered perinatal asphyxiation and his Apgar was not improving. He was taken straight up to the Trevor Mann Unit. By the time my husband saw him he was intubated, covered in wires.

The specialist told us that due to the prolonged lack of oxygen to the brain he had a 50% chance of being severely brain damaged. There was, however a 'Cooling' treatment that they were going to try. The specialist took charge and told us that they had already initialised the treatment and that his body temperature was to be dropped to reduce swelling to the brain and give it a chance to heal. 

The next 72 hours were spent looking at our little boy, unable to hold him, just wipe his eyes and change a dry nappy. As he was gradually reheated I was able to start feeding him through his tube and finally got to hold him. The next few weeks were spent having MRIs and tests and trying to get him to feed and control the fits that he was having.

The next few months we revisited the hospital for test results and developmental consultations. Every tiny thing that he did at the correct age was an emotional rollercoaster. By his 1st birthday he had hit every mile stone. By his 2nd birthday our consultant said he no longer needed to be under his care but if we were concerned to contact them! What a weight was lifted from my shoulders. Without Sparks this treatment may not have been available yet and Ptoly's story would have been very different.

 Sparks has been at the forefront of funding research into body cooling, which was rolled out in 2009 as NHS standard treatment in specialist hospitals,  for preventing brain damage in babies born deprived of oxygen and at risk of life-long disability. This is probably the most important advance in neonatal intensive care for babies in the last decade.

 We want to make more advances like this one possible for babies like Ptoly, thank you for your support.

Naomi, Philippa, Iain and Helen x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Naomi, Philippa, Helen & Iain x

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