Our story started 4 years ago when our baby girl was born at 26 weeks and 4 days weighing just 2.5lb the equivalent of a bag of sugar. 

After her birth, Ruby spent five months in intensive care at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital. After two months of constant ups and downs we were informed that Ruby had NEC. At that time these three letters had no meaning to us.

Today we know that NEC is the biggest killer in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Ruby was kept 52 days nil by mouth. She was given heavy doses of antibiotics.

Doctors had decided to feed her via TPN – little IV line passes through her vain directly connected to her heart.

After 52 days of fighting doctors had decided that the only way to save her life was to operate. They operated on her for over six hours…… Every minutes of it felt like a day for us, as we paced up and down waiting for any news.

Our Baby girl has won her battle! Today she is a beautiful, healthy, happy little girl! (Read Ruby's full story at www.borntooearly.org.uk.

But there is still many children in hospital that need our help! 

With my hand on my heart, I can say that if it wasn't for the amazing Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, their knowledge, equipment, perfectly trained staff in Labour Ward, NICU and paediatrics A&E, ambulances always on time and amazing paediatrics HDU unit, our little treasure would not be here with us!!!!!

Please help us to raise funds in support of Chelsea & Westminster’ Hospitals groundbreaking research into treating and preventing NEC – The biggest killer on the Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.

We need £895,000 to make this life saving and life changing research happen.

A group of generous supporters has already pledged 35% of the funds.

We now need a further £560,000 by July 2016.

What is NEC?
Necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) is like gangrene of the gut. Babies with NEC cannot absorb nutrients or tolerate normal feeding and eventually, if left unchecked, the NEC will cause their gut to wither and die.

NEC is the second commonest cause of death in NICUs in the developed world. Babies with NEC have more chance of developing blood infection and gut dysfunction. Babies with surgically-treated NEC have poorer brain development than medically-treated babies.

Treatment and post-surgery rehabilitation may take many months. The impact of this physical and psychological trauma on the baby and its parents can be devastating.