Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page and taking the time to learn about why I’m raising money for #TeamSCT by running the London Marathon.

In May 2024, our son Charlie was born at Calderdale Hospital. Initially appearing to be happy and well, it quickly became apparent that something wasn’t quite right when he began to stop feeding. Doctors then established that at just one day old, he would need to be rushed to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery.

During his time in the Neonatal Surgical Unit, The Sick Children’s Trust helped to support us by providing us with a ‘Home from Home’ allowing us to stay in a room just a moment away from his bedside. Without this support, we would not have been able to stay by his side for the duration of the first, very traumatic, week of his life.

Thanks to the incredible care and support he received from all of the staff at the Sick Children’s Trust and the Sheffield Children’s Hospital, Charlie has now made a full recovery and will be coming to London along with his big sister Lily, to help cheer me round the course!

Whilst sitting by Charlie’s side during his stay on the NSU, we decided we wanted to help give back to TeamSCT by helping to fundraise for them. When the opportunity of running the London Marathon became available, it seemed like a perfect fit. Rach and I therefore would be incredibly grateful if people would be kind enough to donate to this great charity, to help ensure that another family in our situation in the future will be able to receive this amazing support. Thank you.

The Sick Children’s Trust is the charity that provides a welcoming ‘Homes from Home’ where families with a sick child in hospital can stay. But we’re more than bricks and mortar, our friendly, caring staff are there to support families when they really need it.

Without us families would have to travel long distances, sleep in uncomfortable hospital chairs or pay for expensive hotels just to be by their sick child’s hospital bedside. Not only do we alleviate financial worries but we also help the mental wellbeing of the families we support.

We have ten ‘Homes from Home’ around England, supporting families from around the UK.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.