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In the month of April, I will cycle the length of London to Paris (approx. 250miles/400kms), for the Babies In Buscot Support (BIBS) charity. 

My twins were born 9-weeks prematurely at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and have received amazing care from the Neonatal ICU unit (Buscot). One of my twins had pneumothorax (lung collapse) on the second day after birth, and the quick actions of RBH and John Radcliffe Hospital saved his life. He underwent two operations, one at RBH and one at the JR, and was finally stable enough to be reunited back with his twin brother and us at RBH. I will never forget that it was on Mother’s Day of 2018, that he was separated from me, to be taken over to the JR. Both twins also had minor complications like jaundice and heart murmur, all of which were expertly dealt with by RBH.

The boys were in Buscot ward for 4 weeks. We were very impressed by the care provided by the doctors, mid-wives and nurses, and of the facilities provided for the families and moral & emotional support sessions, all funded by BIBS. 

In these trying times, donations and ability to fundraise, like many charities, have been severely hampered and has resulted in a 40% drop in annual donation, and this figure, unfortunately, is increasing. This led me to the decision to get off my couch and do something about it to help. 

Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS) raise funds to give sick and premature newborns at the RBH the best possible start in life. Their work is focused in four main areas of activities, which they call keeping Buscot families "SAFE":

Support – providing families with independent emotional support while their baby is in Buscot, and beyond.

Awareness - inform parents about what to expect from a stay on Buscot by providing written information and raise awareness of issues related to prematurity or sickness at birth.

Facilities - refurbish facilities and accommodation on the ward to provide a more homely environment.

Equipment - fund state-of-the-art equipment for the ward including incubators, cardiac monitors, ventilators, phototherapy units and much more.

The charity is run by parents that have had a baby spend time on Buscot Ward. That is why we care so deeply, and want to make the experience for all babies admitted to Buscot ward and their families the best it can possibly be.

I will be doing this challenge from home through virtual spin classes (which will include uphill resistance). As a person who's not exercised for the last couple of years, I am literally going from zero to HERO (I hope!). A friend had advised that between childcare, work, spending time with family and sleep, 124miles/200kms is doable in a month, and 155miles/250kms would be a good challenging target. I have decided to test my resolve and upped the challenge to 250miles/400kms - why not?

Every little bit that you can give will help. I really appreciate your support in my cause. All money raised goes to BIBS. 

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.