Story
<p><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Arial&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;sans-serif&amp;quot;; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We are running a half marathon and we need your help! Please donate what you can for vital specialist support for sick babies and their families...<br> <br> In September 2011 our friends Emily and Paul welcomed baby Finlay to a surprised world. Finlay being ahead of the game and desperate to meet his wonderful parents arrived 3 months early weighing only 2lb 7oz (1kg), whilst Emily was attending the Labour party conference in Liverpool, a long way from home in London</span><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">. </span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It was critical that Finlay received intensive care and treatment from day one, so he could learn to breathe, deal with heart and brain problems, and dodge potentially fatal infections. Luckily Liverpool Women’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit turned out to be the best possible place to do this. It is no exaggeration to say that both Finlay and Emily owe their lives to the outstanding professionals who looked after them so expertly there.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Over the next 73 days, Finlay and his mum and dad spent time in three different hospitals, being cared for by countless dedicated members of staff. Like many babies born too early, Finlay had a very rough ride and several serious setbacks along the way. But happily, baby Finlay was strong enough to be back at home in London with Emily and Paul in time for Christmas, and is now well over four times his birthweight! </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">During their time in Liverpool away from family and friends, Emily and Paul were provided with a truly vital service: somewhere to live. Liverpool Women's Hospital has a small number of flats very close to the baby unit. This meant that Finlay’s mum and dad were on hand to talk to him, touch him, and feed him expressed breast milk through a tube – all of which were very important elements of his care.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The staff at Liverpool Women's Hospital deliver more than 8,000 babies each year, of which over 1,000 are pre-term infants just like Finlay. Please help us raise as much as we can so that more parents can be close to their children during their first critical weeks.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This provision of accommodation for Emily and Paul was worth an immeasurable amount, and the accommodation itself is 100% funded by charitable donations through "The Kitty", the Liverpool Women's charity. We have therefore decided to say a small (or hopefully large!) thank you to Liverpool Women's Hospital and "The Kitty" by running a half marathon on the 25th March 2012 in Marlow, Buckinghamshire in order to raise funds.</span></p>
<p style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br> Any donations would be gratefully received.<br> <br> Love<br> <br> Els and Caroline</span><span style="color: black; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
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