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On September 5, I will be running 5k in aid of FSID (Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths), which funds research into the causes and prevention of cot death – or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome – as well as helping parents deal with its aftermath. SIDS is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby, and is the cause of death of approximately 300 children every year. There is no single known cause – so far all that’s been identified are risk factors.

This will be the first race I’ve run since my school sports day in Year 10, when running the 800 metres tended to turn me into a wibbling purple mess with alarming speed, and while I’ve (hopefully) improved a little since then, I think it’s still fair to say that I might find this a bit of a challenge. 

It’s also the first time I’ve run for charity and I’d love to really make it count, so if you can donate I’d pretty much be eternally grateful. Hopefully anyone who’s ever seen me run will be amused enough by the memory to sponsor me!

FSID's work

As well as funding research, FSID offers a helpline for parents, resources to explain the risk factors associated with cot death, trained befrienders to support bereaved families, and a “Care of Next Infant” scheme (working with the NHS) to help parents whose baby died suddenly if and when they decide to have another child.

The only way to really explain how FSID makes a difference is in the stories of the parents they’ve helped, which are on their website:
http://fsid.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=616 http://fsid.org.uk/Page.aspx?pid=613

If you want more information about FSID, please ask me or visit their website at http://www.fsid.org.uk

JustGiving’s reasons why JustGiving is excellent (though if you’d prefer not to give online, email me and I’ll put you on a paper sponsor form):

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.