Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I know what you're thinking - Karina?  On a bike????

I am participating in the Sospan Fach Cycle Ride on 12/05/2013, a 15 mile cycle ride around the Millennium Coastal Path in Llanelli. This is the second challenge I have signed up for this year.  This, again, is a huge challenge for me - I haven't been on a bike in years!!! I'm cycling in memory of Ethan (my son) who sadly passed away in 2000 and to raise awareness and much needed funds for the Bliss charity.  They do excellent work and every penny counts.

Bliss, a charity for babies born too soon, too small, too sick is an important UK wide charity that gives vital support and care for premature and sick babies and their families. Bliss is active across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and delivers a range of nationally available services. 

One in every nine babies in the UK is born premature or sick meaning over 80,000 babies a year with one being admitted to special care every 6 minutes.  Bliss provides support and advice over the phone, via messageboard, through a network of local counsellors and local groups.  The charity campaigns for the highest standards of care to be available to all babies and their families wherever they live and fund innovative research and practice.  They are helping to raise standards so the best possible care can be provided.  Bliss is also driving forward a number of projects to provide direct care to babies, their parents and families within hospitals and within their communities.

How your donations can help

£1 will provide text message support for a distressed parent

£10 will provide telephone support for a family

£24 will keep the Family Support Helpline running for 1 hour

£60 will fund a neonatal nurse on a Bliss study day

£100 will provide training for a Parents 4 Parents volunteer

£500 will support a Family Support Group for a year

£2,000 will provide a year's worth of good practice updates to all UK neonatal units

£2,500 will train a neonatal nurse in developmental care

£5,000 will provide a study day and support package to 50 health visitors on supporting premature and sick babies after discharge from hospital

£6,000 will fund a new campaign to recruit more specialist nurses for the most vulnerable babies

£10,000 will fund the online parent messageboard and text message support service for a year

My son was not premature, he was not too small, but he was too sick to survive having suffered meconium aspiration syndrome.  The support and advice that Bliss can offer parents in a similar situation is invaluable and you can't put a price on any improvements made possible to the care the baby receives.

Please dig deep and donate as much as you can to this worthy cause and support me in my venture to raise the minimum of £200 in addition to the funds already raised.  I'm hoping to raise much more and plan on doing some fun things along the way.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

I have already raised in excess of £3000 for this wonderful charity but it is nowhere near enough!!!  So please dig deep and donate now.  Every penny counts.