Daniel's Dover to Calais Virtual Challenge
Daniel Higham is raising money for Whittington Babies
Story
On Sunday 6th September - our son Georges' 10-week birthday - I'm going to be running [mainly] & cycling [a little] 21 miles, which rather appropriately, considering his parentage, is the exact distance to cross from Dover to Calais, in aid of Whittington Babies.
When Georges was born he was incredibly poorly indeed. He'd contracted congenital pneumonia in the womb and arrived unable to breathe unassisted. The fantastic staff at Whittington Hospital immediately rushed him in an incubator to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where he spent an awfully, awfully scary 24 hours before thankfully being released.
What was apparent in the NICU was that Georges' reason for being there was rare - the vast majority of babies that go there are premature, and some of them in surrounding incubators were very small indeed and would clearly be there for a long while.
The charity Whittington Babies was set up to support the families of premature and sick babies at the Whittington, helping make their stay as comfortable as possible. They provide everything from special medical equipment for the unit, overnight rooms & toiletries for parents who have to be at the hospital for extended periods, to emotional counselling and breastfeeding support. They also strive to improve the working environment for the dedicated medical team who tirelessly staff the NICU.
When Georges was born he was incredibly poorly indeed. He'd contracted congenital pneumonia in the womb and arrived unable to breathe unassisted. The fantastic staff at Whittington Hospital immediately rushed him in an incubator to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) where he spent an awfully, awfully scary 24 hours before thankfully being released.
What was apparent in the NICU was that Georges' reason for being there was rare - the vast majority of babies that go there are premature, and some of them in surrounding incubators were very small indeed and would clearly be there for a long while.
The charity Whittington Babies was set up to support the families of premature and sick babies at the Whittington, helping make their stay as comfortable as possible. They provide everything from special medical equipment for the unit, overnight rooms & toiletries for parents who have to be at the hospital for extended periods, to emotional counselling and breastfeeding support. They also strive to improve the working environment for the dedicated medical team who tirelessly staff the NICU.
Anything you're able to give would be gratefully received and will go to make life just a bit easier for parents, like Stephanie and I, who have to undergo such trauma.
Thank you for reading,
Daniel, Stephanie and most thankfully, Georges
Thank you for reading,
Daniel, Stephanie and most thankfully, Georges