I was asked by good friends to run a marathon and raise money for CLAPA charity.  They have recently been blessed with a beautiful boy, Max. They were told Max would be born with a cleft lip and palate. CLAPA helped them through a very difficult time and it's time to give back. It's been a privilege to be asked to run for Max and other CLAPA babies out there. 

Please read Kate's (Max's mum) story below...

'During our 20 week scan we were told that our baby would have a bilateral cleft lip and palate, to say we were shocked was an understatement. At first, I didn’t want to look at any pictures, talk about it or even open google to see what was in store for our little boy. A few days later, I sat in his nursery and looked through pictures on the CLAPA Instagram page and my anxiety reduced dramatically. The faces looking back at me were beautiful and our little boy would be too. Through CLAPA, I was put in touch with a family who had been through a similar experience and I was able to ask questions and find solace. We also had lots of support from Broomfield and CLAPA, including books to prepare our daughter Amelia. Max was born on 4th September 2022 and to our surprise he only had an isolated incomplete bilateral cleft lip. Fortunately for us, Max can use bottles sold through high street retailers. When he was diagnosed I reached out to other mums to help understand my feelings and share our experiences with. I have met two wonderful mums and their amazing children, both whom have cleft lips and palates. Their bottles can only be purchased through CLAPA. All of our children have had or will need surgery/multiple surgeries as young as 4 months. CLAPA has set up a support group and this has been invaluable. All of our children are different, beautifully different and we are so proud of their strength and resilience. In current times, CLAPA are struggling to fund the charity. Without them, children similar to Max wouldn’t have access to bottles to feed from or vital support. We would like to raise money so that they can continue to support families similar to us'.

Thank you in advance for your support. Your donations will help massively to new babies and their families. 

Let's do this...

Matt Oxley