Hello and welcome to the page!

I will be running the London Marathon in April 2024 to raise money for the Rainbow and Placenta Clinic at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester.

In January 2023, at 20 weeks pregnant, we found out that our baby was struggling with his growth and we were referred to the Foetal Medicine Unit at St Mary's in Manchester. We were told our baby was very small for gestation, and we were diagnosed with IUGR (intra uterine growth restriction). This is a condition in which an unborn baby is not growing at a normal rate inside the womb, for a variety of reasons (chromosomal, blood flow to the placenta, infections and other causes). It is highly unusual to be diagnosed so early, and at its worse, it has hugely increased risks of stillbirth due to lack of blood flow and oxygen from the placenta to the baby.

After our first appointment we were then referred to the Placenta Clinic. We were then living week by week, waiting for our weekly scan to see if our baby was going to make it another week. We had an amniocentesis with the most comprehensive genetic testing available, infection tests on mum, exome sequencing on all 3 of us, and everything came back negative. We were told some placenta issues can't be seen on scans and would need to wait for delivery.

We were closely monitored for the remainder of the pregnancy, knowing that anything could change by the next appointment. By 30 weeks mum had developed gestational hypertension and baby was still growing very slowly, under the first centile in all markers. Week after week, these people saved our sanity, and provided us with the most incredible care and support during the remainder of our pregnancy.

As a result of their dedication, experience and knowledge, we were able to welcome our second child, Maximiliano, in May 2023. In the end, we found out that the cause of Max's growth restriction was placental in nature.

Max weighed just under 4lb (1.8kg) and was underneath the 0.4th centile (out of 1,000 babies, he would be in the smallest 3). Whilst he has a long way to go, he was given the best possible chance by the sheer will to care for their patients demonstrated by the staff at the clinic.

He is the most brilliant little brother to George.

I am raising money so that they can continue their vital, incredible work, and so that other families can access the life changing care and support that we did.

As a charity our mission is simple: to support the excellence in treatment, research and care we provide to our patients each and every day. We want to make a real difference to the people we treat – young and old – by making sure that they continue to receive the very best treatment in the very best facilities.