Towards the end of last year at just 12 days old our beautiful baby girl was admitted to our local hospital with bronchiolitis.

After 24 hours our Reesey Ru was deteriorating. The decision was made to put her to sleep and for the South Thames Retrieval Service to transfer her to intensive care at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London where she would be placed on a ventilator.

Although we felt like we were in a complete nightmare the support and care we received from everyone at the Evelina made that week a little bit easier.

We arrived at the Evelina early hours of the morning and once Reese was settled in and we had seen her, we were taken to a room where we could leave our belongings and try and get some rest. It consisted of a double bed and an en-suite bathroom with towels and toiletries provided. We were so grateful as you can’t sleep in intensive care and we obviously didn’t want to leave the hospital and be away from our baby. In the visitors room you could make tea and coffee for free and watch TV to allow yourself to switch off for a few moments. There was also a fridge and a microwave so you could store and reheat your own food. All those little things made such a difference and eliminated other stresses so we could focus on our baby.

With our other 3 children at home with Nanny and Grandad, for the next week I divided my time between home and the hospital whilst Nicola stayed at the hospital 24/7. I bought the boys to the Evelina to see Nicola and they loved it. The waiting area is bright and vibrant with lifts made to look like rocket ships, crafting corners, toys, as well as a helter skelter slide. Thanks to fundraising the Evelina is made to feel more like home, a sanctuary for so many families.

There is so much more that the Evelina Children hospital offer and fundraising makes it so much more possible. Recently it has provided a ground-breaking MRI scanner and research that could transform a tiny baby’s care, as well as introducing a brilliant app that means parents and carers can whisper ‘good night’ from home.

Now I’m going to train and run the London Marthon and with your help try and raise as much money as I can. Myself and my family will be forever indebted to the Evelina Hospital for saving our baby girls life and supporting us through that difficult time. Together we can make a difference 💫