This year we will again be completing our 8 hour cycle challenge. We are raising money for a cause very close to our hearts this year and therefore all donations, no matter how small, will be hugely appreciated.

At the beginning of this year Kerry shared the exciting news with us that she was pregnant; we had a giggle and talked about how the previous past times of long distance running and marathon 2 hour spin classes would need to take a back seat for a while. Her due date was 15 August and so we began planning for when she left us to start her maternity leave.

Over the course of the months that followed, Kerry’s ‘bump’ blossomed and despite a few aches and pains her pregnancy was relatively calm and uneventful. On 6 June 2017 baby Amelia Brant decided that she wanted to join us and she was born 10 weeks prematurely by C-Section. I don’t think any of us that were involved in the course of events that Tuesday afternoon will ever forget just how quickly everything happened; least of all Kerry and Scott.

Amelia weighed 3lb 10 when she was born and spent the first 7 weeks of her young life in the Neo Natal unit at Walsall Manor Hospital. Each day brought it’s own challenges for the whole family but it was obvious in the first few days that Amelia is made from strong stuff. When she was discharged on Monday 17 July it was hard to believe just how far she had come and how much she had grown.

 Whilst she has to take a lot of credit for this herself, I don’t think anyone would underestimate the unbelievable levels of care and support both she and the family received from the team at the Neo Natal unit. It’s often easy to see a hospital as simply a place for sick people to be treated however the emotional and psychological support element is sometimes forgotten.

I know that Kerry, Scott and their wider families will forever hold a special
place in their hearts for the team of nurses and doctors who showed such
dedication, empathy and humility whilst delivering fantastic levels of care to
Amelia in those first few weeks.

With this in mind, we have taken the decision that all donations received for our cycle challenge this year will be given to the Walsall Neo Natal unit; just a small token of our appreciation for how they have helped one of our team.