Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page.

It’s 2015 and this means new goals and challenges!!

2015 has had a fantastic start with Kathy (neonatal nurse practioner founder of Birthlink charity) been awarded an MBE by the Queen. Her Citation reads “For services to neonatal nursing and charitable work to improve the survival of newborn babies in developing countries.”

We are all so proud of Kathy and her team but as they work harder more work is generated as Birthlink’s success spreads through Rwanda and the DRC. Neighbouring hospitals travel to see the ‘miracle’ work of  premature babies surviving and naturally want the same for their own!

Survival of a premature baby in England is often not questioned. Give them warmth, food (milk), some basic support and simply just watch them ‘Feed and Grow.’ In the Democratic Republic of Congo these basic survival needs are often not met and preventable deaths happen every day. 

BirthLink focuses on providing these basic needs through education, training and providing sustainable resources to local nurses and doctors. Once the project has been planted we leave it in the local doctors and nurses hands but continue to give support.

The money that we will raise will again go to Panzi hospital, DRC (it is an amazing haven for women of sexualised violence. Dr Mukwege (Clinical director) has not only been nominated twice for the Nobel peace price but he has also been nearly assasinated twice.) Panzi hospital has been a great success of Birthlink because of the incredible dedication of the local doctors and nurses.

I will also join the Birthlink team in another trip this year to the DRC. We will go both to Panzi hospital but also set up the project in a new hospital in Goma.

Thank you for all your previous support to Birthlink and your ongoing support and generosity!!

My personal aim for the Paris Marathon will be: 3 hrs 15 minutes.

I will be running with another Paediatric Registrar Emily Robertson who has also been involved in Rwandan Birthlink projects. 

Thank you for your time in reading my entry!