A little bit why we have decided to do this and our story of our beautiful baby girl Elsie.

Elsie was a sassy, loving, bossy, independent 1 year old with the best pout in town!!

She was diagnosed with epilepsy mid August after having several seziures and hospital admissions.

On Friday 17th September we were back in hospital with Elsie as her seizures weren't resolving and she was having one after another - even after her medication. On Saturday morning I woke in hospital with my baby girl unresponsive and struggling to breathe, she was intubated and taken for a CT scan where they found a tumor on her brain. The tumor had caused a cyst full of fluid, which was putting pressure on the rest of her brain. She was emergency transferred there and then to Southampton General for brain surgery.

Ben and I weren't allowed to travel in the ambulance with Elsie, so we drove up separately. When we got to Southampton hospital, from the minute we walked in we felt comfort - they talked us through what was happening with our daughter (after nearly walking into the threate room itself). They showed us to a room with a double bed and a bathroom that we could use while we were there. They called us with updates throughout to let us know how she was getting on. It was the longest 5 hours of our lives!!

The surgery was successful, they managed to drain the fluid to relieve the pressure and take biopsies from the tumor, Elsie was transferred to the peadeatric intensive care unit and we were allowed in to see her.

From the minute we walked through the doors to PICU, we instantly knew that Elsie was in the best possible hands. The nurses were so caring and compassionate, the Dr's would explain everything to us over and over again so we knew exactly what was going on, when and how. I remember one of the nurses turning to me and saying, from a nurse to a nurse and a mum to a mum, I will look after Elsie like she is my own! The love the nurses had for Elsie and all their patients was so obvious and so comforting.

The days went on, and scans were proving we were living a nightmare. Ben and I would go for coffee and would come back to the nurses reading Elsie a story. They learnt Elsie's nicknames, and the way she would like her muslin around her - they talked to us like we were part of their families and listened to everything we said. They knew I was pregnant and looked after me as well as our little girly.

When it came to the worst day of ours lives - if it wasn't for them, Ben and I wouldn't have been able to be the Mummy and Daddy we were to Elsie that day. They allowed us to take her outside, they helped us take hand and foot prints, they helped us brush Elsie's hair and put her bows in. They turned Elsie's bed around so she was looking outside (because they knew she loved the outdoors). They were incredible and that doesn't even come close to how we feel about the unit... We want to do this to give them something back, to help the other families and children on the ward. To give the staff a reward, that we know is most definitely earned and I'm sure over due!

We want to say THANK YOU!

So.... Ben along with two of his friends, Pooler and Tommy, and my newphew Josh are running the Brighton marathon April 10th 2022 in memory of Elsie and to raise funds for Southampton PICU. Jacob will only be 4 weeks old, but we will be going to support Daddy and to remember Jakes big sister Elsie.

Any donations are very much welcomed and appreciated. Thank you!

We love you Elsie Rose - love Mummy and Daddy xxxxxxxx