Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page dedicated to our son Leo.

Our little fighters arrived into the world far too soon, born on the 30th July 2020, at just 23+6 weeks. That day our lives changed forever and little did we know the journey the boys were about to take us on. We were confronted with the crazy and terrifying world that was the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We knew this was all too soon, and we knew the odds were against us, but the boys had chosen this journey for us. They had given us the best job on the planet, which was to be their Mummy and Daddy, so we were ready for what that entailed. We became part of of a pretty special team that day, from our medical heroes to the fiercely strong parents, but mostly to all the other preemie babies that showed us everyday that we all have fight in us, but they just have that bit more.

Over 7 tough months we watched our miracles surprise us everyday, make us prouder than we could have ever imagined. Max joined us at home after nearly 6 months and we were preparing for Leo to join shortly after. To our devastation Leo unexpectedly faced his final swan song between late February and early March. Life sometimes works in ways we won’t ever be able to understand, this time the hurdle Leo faced, which he was no doubt ready to fight, like every other hurdle he had conquered, that this time he was just not given the right tools to fight his last battle. 

The day we lost our darling Leo we made him a promise. Our promise to our hero was to create a legacy to remember him by. We promised that we would help, in anyway we can, all his fellow preemie fighters, their awesome families and their medical heroes that continue to give those born too soon a fighting chance at life. We hope to do him proud, just as he did us.

To kick off our legacy for Leo the Lion we will be tackling 720km of some of the hardest terrain in Europe. Setting off from Barcelona, we will head north over the Pyrenees to Perpignan, around the coast, past Montpellier and across the salt flats in the Camargue. We will then navigate the rolling hills of the Vaucluse. Needing somewhere special to aim for, we decided on St Tropez, hoping that the promise of rosé on the final day will be enough to drag us through the pain of failing limbs and blisters in the final days. 

Three of our group still don't own a bike, three others have not ridden for over 2 years, and nearly half have never ridden in cleats. Getting to near enough Tour de France distances each day is going to be nearly impossible, but we are hoping that your generous donations and Leo, our guardian angel, will give us the strength we need. If he can send us just an ounce of the courage and spirit he showed in his 7 short months we will be in with a shout, but we still need your help.

Lions Ride will be riding for First touch, which  is charity very close to our hearts.The boys are a tragic reminder that extreme preemies cannot go it alone and they are both proof that medical equipment can tilt the odds in their favour. With your help, more preemies will grow up with their brother or sister and less families will have to endure the unimaginable pain of losing a child.

First Touch support many families going through the toughest ride of their lives in a number of ways. From making sure there are snacks in the family room, when you can’t pull yourself away from the wards to grab food, to Christmas stockings for all the babies, birthdays and Christmas cards for their Mummy and Daddys, and putting parents up in hotel accommodation, when home feels that bit too far away. They also help raise money for the life saving equipment that helped our boys have a fighting chance. This is just a slice of what this charity does. 

We would be grateful for a donation, no matter how small, to this wonderful charity, as it really would mean the world to us and Leo the Lion. 

Feel free to visit instagram account @LionsRide2021 to keep updated on all the training and fundraising events leading up to the ride in October.