Hello everyone,

     We are raising money for research into birth asphyxia.  Our daughter Eva died of birth asphyxia when her umbilical cord was compressed as she emerged into the world on 28th April 2008.  On Eva's behalf, we would be delighted and honoured if you chose to give money to this cause by sponsoring Jon's ride.

     Find out more about the ride and get daily updates at the following website:

http://www.jons-big-ride.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/

     Jon is cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End (900 miles) in 7 days from the 9th to 15th April 2009.  Seven days is a short time, but this is all the time we had with Eva.  Her brief life was spent in an intensive care unit.  Although she never ‘woke up’ we took every opportunity to cram a lifetime of love into the few days we had with her.  She was wonderful from her thick crop of hair to her tiny toes.

     Each day, in the UK alone, 17 babies die shortly after birth (like Eva) or are stillborn.   Two in every thousand full-term babies suffer from birth asphyxia.  A lack of oxygen during birth causes brain cell death, leading to severe cerebral palsy or the death of the baby. 

     We believe that if only we can devote the time energy and money, we will find a way to prevent brain cell death in cases like Eva's.  There is already some great work going on around the world, but the treatments found so far only work for around 1 in 6 babies.  Eva wasn't one of the lucky ones.  She was denied a lifetime of enjoyment in a cruel and random way: there was no reason Eva was more likely to have died of this than any other little person.

     Eva means the world to us.  Each day we long to hold her, and look after, but we'll never get to see her again.  Any parent who loses their child in this way is left with a sadness that lasts a lifetime.  Whilst it might be possible to learn to live with the pain we are never going to stop being her parents or missing her every day.

     Jon's bike ride will be very tough, but this challenge pales into insignificance when compared to that of living life without our daughter.

     Please spend an extra minute to consider how much you can donate.   When you do this, you might consider what it would be like to lose your own child, nephew, niece, or grandchild in such a senseless way and to carry that with you for the rest of your life.  It's something we wouldn't wish on anybody, and we hope that with your support Eva’s life might help to save other little lives.

                                               Thank you for your support

                                                       Eva, Louise & Jon    x x x

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: SPARKS gets your money faster and, if you’re a taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation