Raised: 172%
Target: £5,000.00
Raised so far: £8,594.35
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My story

 
Two events occurred in 2006 that changed our lives. Steve's twins were born 10 weeks prematurely and spent 2 months at Homerton Hospital neonatal unit. Pete's 4 year old son Finn was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukeamia and is currently being treated at Great Ormond Street hospital and The Whittington hospital on a shared care basis.

We want to give something back to the people that saved the twins lives and are working to save Finn's life. As we are both keen cyclists we have organised a charity cycle ride, the proceeds to be split between our chosen charities. We have already received fantastic support from our friends, many of whom have agreed to join us cycling the Coast to Coast route from Whitehaven to Sunderland on 13 June 2007.

Tabitha and Zoe's Story...

My twins Tabitha and Zoe were born prematurely and spent 2 months in the neonatal unit at Homerton Hospital. Zoe stopped growing in the womb at 26 weeks and we were told the babies would have to be delivered early or she would not survive. We spent an agonising 4 weeks going for scans and waking up every day wondering if today was the day we would meet our babies. Zoe proved an amazing little fighter and hung in there for us. The babies were delivered at 30 weeks, Zoe weighing just over 2lbs and Tabitha just over 3lbs.

It was upsetting to see our babies for the first time in the neonatal unit. They were in incubators, covered in wires and hooked up to various alarms. They seemed impossibly small and had no fingernails, eyelashes or cartilage to keep their ears upright.

Premature babies can have so many complications and we began a rollercoaster of a journey, never knowing what we would find from day to day. There were terrible lows, the worst when Tabitha's lung collapsed and we received a phonecall at 5am to say they had nearly lost her in the night. Then amazing highs - like the day we came in to find the babies had 'graduated' into cots and we could cuddle them for the first time, without the help of a nurse.

We are so grateful to the staff at Homerton neonatal unit for helping our twins and would like to give something back. The hospital is currently fundraising to help improve facilities within the transitional care section of the Special Care Baby Unit. My wife 'roomed in' here with our girls before taking them home. The unit is small and cramped with up to 6 mothers and their babies sharing a room which wasn't exactly conducive to a restful nights sleep! With your help we can raise money to help them improve this facility.


Click here to donate to Pete's charity 'The Whittington'

Donation by Anonymous 06/06/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good luck! Donation by Clem 06/06/07  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Good luke with the cycle. The twins are very sweet. Donation by Suzi Harnett (Fola's mate) 06/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good Luck Matt Donation by Ann Chadwick 06/06/07  

£40.00 + £11.28 Gift Aid

I've got some cream for the saddle sores.... Donation by Alex 06/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck Matt & co, will have a beer waiting... Donation by Jon Mason 06/06/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Donation by Diane 06/06/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Matt! Donation by Predrag Bjelanovic 06/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck Matt! Donation by John Quinn 06/06/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck Matt and to all of you, from Sarah, Chris, Oliver and Ella. Donation by Sarah Pearce 05/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Give Matt Gardner a razor sharp racing cycle! Donation by Richard Jones 05/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Enjoy ;-) Donation by Ken, Clare and Chloe Ross 05/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Matt Gardiner enjoy the ride and good luck to all on excellent adventure Donation by Tim Glennon 05/06/07  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Donation by Matt Abbiss 05/06/07  

£20.00

Good Luck Matt G Donation by Tom Canning 05/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck Matt! Donation by Steve Downes 05/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck. Donation by John Rosie, (Matt Gardner) 05/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck! Donation by Matthew Yu 05/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Good luck to you all xx Donation by Laura Spiteri 05/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Best of luck boys! Donation by Brian & Angela Kay 05/06/07  

£25.00

Good Luck! Sabine, Craig, Eva & Anya Donation by Sabine from twinsclub 05/06/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good luck all and good luck Sunderland on Saturday night Donation by David de Menezes 04/06/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Very best of luck chaps! Donation by David Casement 04/06/07  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Nice one, Steve - love the proud father pic! Donation by Sy 04/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Nice short ride but still, hope it hurts! Donation by Slobbo 04/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Go go guys! Love Bego Donation by Bego Filgueira 04/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good cause... best of luck! Donation by Helen Fricker 02/06/07  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

I am sorry to hear such news and if I was in the UK I'd get on my bike!! Happy to help. love 2 u all Donation by Alan Churchill 02/06/07  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

What a gorgeous picture! Happy riding all! Donation by Liisa 01/06/07  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

good luck to you all, I have every confidence in Mr. Blach Donation by Kathy Hipperson 01/06/07  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid
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* Total raised online: £6,644.35
  Offline donations: £1,950.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £1,663.00

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