My friend Lynsey and her partner Craig recently lost their newborn son, Frankie, 4 days after he was born.  Shortly after he entered into this world, he contracted an infection that would take his life.  For 4 days, he fought like a soldier but he couldn’t be saved.

Frankie was treated at the Luton & Dunstable Neonatal Intensive care unit (NICU), and although the outcome was tragic, the care he received was excellent.  The doctors cared for him 24 hours a day and went over and above to try and give Frankie every chance of survival. 

This is why in April this year I am running the London Marathon for the L&D NICU appeal.  I want to raise as many funds as possible to help the hospital reach their target and be able to upgrade the unit.  Please, please support me.

 More information regarding the appeal is below:

The L&D NICU treats over 900 premature and critically ill full-term babies. They offer the highest level of neonatal intensive care possible and are one of only three high-level neonatal units in the East of England.

The Luton and Dunstable Hospital is building a new, bigger unit with more cots and better facilities to help treat even more babies. The NICU Appeal has been launched to raise additional funds to buy extra equipment and enhance the Unit to ensure that all the babies are treated in the best possible environment.

This new state-of-the-art facility will feature leading edge technology and accommodate up to 46 cots.   It will also include much needed facilities for parents who want to stay close to their baby, including overnight accommodation, a breast-feeding room and two family rooms.  These facilities will allow the NICU team to support parents more effectively whilst their baby is poorly and also when preparing them to take their baby home.

We need your help to raise an extra £1.5 million to help equip and enhance the new Unit. With all its specialist equipment the unit will be able to treat around 300 more babies each year and save even more precious lives.