Me, Tom Allan, Jonny ball, lee-jon brealey and Thomas Linacre will be running the great north run on September the 10th to raise awareness for the charity cmv.

Cmv is a charity that is run by volunteers only, also this charity is close to me and my family as my niece has cmv.

We were asked to raise £350 each so any donation is well and truly appreciated big or small.

The Basics about the Virus

CMV, or Cytomegalovirus, is a common virus that can infect people of all ages. Once CMV is in a person’s body, it stays there for life. Most healthy adults and children who become infected will have no signs or symptoms and no long term effects from CMV. It can however pose serious risks to unborn babies if a pregnant woman catches it for the first time. Congenital CMV is when a baby has been infected before birth. It is one of the leading causes of hearing loss in children and one of the main causes of childhood disability.

Who is at risk of CMV?

Contracting CMV infection during pregnancy poses a risk to the developing baby, as some of these babies are born with permanent health problems. Others at risk include people with low immune systems, for example, people on chemotherapy, or who have had a transplant or who are HIV-positive.

Is congenital CMV a rare condition?

CMV is the most common infection passed from mother to unborn baby.

The majority of babies born with congenital CMV will not have any symptoms at birth and will not suffer any long term problems. However, two or three babies are affected by the CMV virus every day in the UK – almost 1000 babies every year. Congenital CMV causes more birth defects and childhood deaths than Down’s Syndrome.