Hello! And thank you for taking the time to read my story.

In October 1994, and February 1997 I was blessed with 2 little brothers, both who were born premature & needed hospital care. Without the help & the constant care from the nurses, my brothers would not be 23 & 20 years old today. The doctors, nurses and all the staff in the RVI SCBU go above & beyond to help give round the clock care to the families with very sick children. Sometimes saying thank you isn't enough. 

Then last year my good friend Rachael Tennant took very ill while she was pregnant with her daughter Esmay. She was put into an induced coma to help give her body the rest she needed, but while in the coma she gave birth to her daughter Esmay at 24 weeks! Weighing just a tiny 1lb 2oz! Nobody thought both of them would survive but now having gave birth Rachael could get the medicine she needed to help keep her alive. Rachael few weeks later woke up from her coma & was told that she had gave birth to her daughter! Which nobody could believe. It was a miracle to everyone that Esmay was still fighting for her life. Although Rachael was slowly getting better but still very ill, she was allowed to hold her tiny little daughter! Smaller than her hand. 

Rachael's conditions and health improved amazingly better than anyone could of ever imagined! While Rachael was discharged from hospital weeks later, Esmay stayed in hospital as she still needed more care. The hospitals charity Tiny Lives went above and beyond to give Rachael and her family the love & support they needed while Esmay was still in hospital, they were lovely & friendly. They were lovely to all the other families, giving them a break they needed, getting the know the families better. 

Now, a year later! Coming up to Esmay's 1st birthday, she is the happiest little girl I have ever seen in my life! She has came on leaps and bounds since her very early arrival into the world, shes now a crazy 13lb 9oz little girl!

The nurses, doctors and all the staff at the RVI SCBU and all the staff who work for Tiny Lives deserve more credit than what they get, they go above and beyond to be there to give the love and support to families who need the help the most at the most unthinkable time of their lives! I'm running the Great North Run to simply say thank you for everything all the staff do, and thank you for keeping my brothers and my friends daughter alive.

Thanks for reading.