In memory of Felix and Oscar

After Oscar died at 27 weeks, a premature arrival (33 weeks) of both him and Felix seemed like the happy ending to a nightmare. Our lives were destroyed when Felix also died due to necrotising enterocolitis (NEC). Felix developed NEC at 5 days old and it was less than 24 hours between the onset of his symptoms and his death. His bowel had died and dissolved, and there was nothing that could be done.

NEC is a devastating bowel disorder that mainly strikes premature babies. Babies in neonatal units can develop the disease at any time, with little or no warning. It’s hard to diagnose, so NEC is often identified late, when a baby is already extremely ill.

Around 60,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the UK alone, yet so little is still known about premature birth and why it happens. I want to raise money for Action Medical Research because they are a charity working to stop the devastation caused by premature birth. You can find out more about their research here: https://action.org.uk/born-too-soon/research