"SSNAP was founded in 1982 and has supported the Newborn Care Unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital ever since. The unit can care for up to 56 babies at any one time and is a Level 3 Centre, the most sick and premature babies from across the Thames Valley, are looked after here in Oxford.

When newborns need specialist, often lifesaving, medical care at birth, it can be a traumatic time for parents. SSNAP are here to support families, fund equipment and enable research, we couldn't do this without the support of people who fundraise for us!"

When Thomas was born very suddenly and unexpectedly at 28 weeks at the John Radcliffe, our world was turned upside down overnight. We were suddenly launched into a whole new world of intensive care, incubators, beeping monitors, NG tubes, expressing milk (me, not Justin!). It was all very scary and overwhelming. Whilst all the medical staff are there for your baby (and what a great life saving job they do!), SSNAP do a fantastic job of looking after the parents - coming round to chat to you during the long, lonely hours spent at the side of an incubator, organising coffee and cake mornings, so that you don't have to leave the unit to get some sugar and can meet other parents who are going through a similar experience. SSNAP also fund some of the medical equipment on the unit and also sometimes provide the doctors and nurses with cake to help get them through the day! SSNAP definitely made our 10 weeks on the unit more bearable. It's been over 8 years since we were there and I think SSNAP are doing even more now to support parents and their newborns on the unit.

So, I've decided to take on a massive challenge this year and take on my second half Ironman distance triathlon (my first was 10 years ago!). This will be a 1900m swim, 90K cycle followed by a 21K (half-marathon) run -eeeeek!! I'm not even sure if I'm capable of this anymore, so please support me and donate some money for SSNAP to give me the motivation to train and to make it to the finish line!!