Hello and welcome to my fundraising page! Running the London Marathon has been on my bucket list for a while and I wanted to make it even more meaningful by running for Bliss.

Our youngest daughter, Olivia, was born 8 weeks early, at 32 weeks. After having two babies at term, it was quite a shock when she decided to arrive when she did! It was also pretty scary and challenging for the whole family.

Thankfully, when I started going into labour at 29 weeks, I was pumped full of steroids to boost her lungs, so when she arrived, she could breathe on her own, with just a bit of help. The amazing doctors and nurses at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham were able to stop my contractions, and we hung on until 32 weeks, when she was (almost) ready to appear.

Sitting in the NICU with our precious baby in her incubator, I felt overwhelmed by how lucky we were. Olivia was perfect, just tiny, and slowly, she grew into the gorgeous, determined 7-year-old she is today.

We were also so aware of the many other babies who were not so lucky and struggled in those first few months and years of their lives (and beyond). Bliss helps support those babies and their families to improve outcomes and their quality of life. 

This is my first marathon, and it's a huge challenge for me! So, if you'd like to support me financially, it would mean a great deal.

Thank you.

Claire xx