Went on our first group training run today - 15mi... Hard work, but good fun!

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Dan Johnstone, Nick Howard and Rob Johnstone are running the London Marathon this year.  

The purpose of the run is two-fold.  Firstly, it is a significant personal challenge for us all.  To conquer 26.2mi currently feels impossible for three chubby village boys!  We know we'll do it though, and can't wait to cross that line and down that first pint!

Secondly, we are raising money to help a fantastic charity - Action on Pre-eclampsia - who help to raise awareness of Pre-eclampsia, help care for ladies and families who suffer from it, and help people cope with the physical and mental suffering that the disorder can cause.

So why are three tough blokey-blokes raising money for APEC?

Take a read of Natalie's story.  Natalie is Nick's wife.  Clearly Nick will never forget the event, but Dan and Rob were also affected deeply.  This is why we will raise £4,500 to help APEC:

Natalie's Story

Natalie was due to give birth to her first child on 14th May 2009. She was booked into Stoke Mandeville Hospital (SMH) to be induced on 28th May 2009.

The local midwife recommended they went for a routine checkup on 24th May, carried out the normal tests and immediately established that Natalie had pre-eclampsia, telling her that she needed to go to hospital immediately and have her baby delivered that day.

After being admitted to SMH, later that evening Natalie was induced. By the morning, there was still no sign of the baby or labour beginning. Throughout the day the baby became distressed, heart rate plummeted and Natalie was in excruciating pain. An emergency caesarean was decided upon.

A healthy baby boy was born on 25th May at 4.30pm weighing a whopping 9lb 1 1/2oz.

As events that night started to unfold, it became apparent that Natalie had suffered major complications. During the operation, the surgeons were unable to stop Natalie from bleeding. A rare procedure had to be performed which thankfully worked. Due to the massive blood loss Natalie was transferred to ITU for blood transfusions.

Further tests were carried out and it became clear that Natalie had HELLP Syndrome, a life threatening obstetric complication usually considered to be a variant of pre-eclampsia. Natalie’s liver capsule ruptured during child birth and resulted in a massive hematoma. She was placed in an induced coma, and suffered multiple organ failure.

SMH managed to stabilise Natalie but after 10 days there was no further improvement so she was transferred to Kings College Hospital Liver ITU.

After receiving amazing care and treatment from the doctors and nurses there, Natalie was brought round from her coma after 5 weeks and slowly began to recover. She met her baby for the first time, had her first cuddle with her little boy and Nick and Natalie were able to name their baby together.

‘Little Man’ became ‘Little Liam’. After 6 1/2 weeks of being in hospital, Natalie was transferred back to SMH for another week before finally being discharged.

Natalie had to learn to walk, talk and care for herself all over again, as well looking after a little baby but with her strength and determination, and love and support from her family and friends she was soon on her way to recovery.

Although a slow process, she eventually recovered fully. The miracle in all this is that despite a horrific and life threatening condition, which continued for several months, both Natalie and Liam are mercifully completely fit and healthy.

The care that Natalie received in King’s College Hospital Liver ITU was second to none. The hard work, support, care and level of commitment they showed was outstanding and Natalie would not be where she is today without all of the staff that treated her. They undoubtedly saved her life.

Nick, Dan and Rob are hoping that by supporting Action On Pre-Eclampsia they will raise public and professional awareness, improve care, and ease or prevent physical and emotional suffering caused by the disorder.

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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thanks - Dan, Nick and Rob

xxx