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A few years ago I started road cycling as a way of keeping fit and commuting. Gradually I upped the miles and even did a couple of 50-60 mile sportives. That's about the sort of distance I'm happy with and I always said I wouldn't really want to do more, not unless it was for charity, a really good cause. 

Well, 5 and a half years ago Emilia was born and we started on a journey we never expected. Emilia struggled to maintain a healthy blood sugar level and was on a glucose drip on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for her first couple of weeks. Eventually the doctors found out she had Congentital Hyperinsulinism (CHI). A child with CHI is always producing insulin, even as their blood sugar goes too low. Without treatment, this can lead to them being starved of the sugar their body needs, resulting in seizures and possibly brain damage. Fortunately the immediate treatment is pretty simple, Emilia like Jelly Babies, some prefer juice. 

However, keeping on top of this is a 24/7 job and, in the early days in particular, involved many sleepless nights, injecting medicine (to slow down the insulin), taking regular blood sugars and convincing a tired and grumpy child to eat and drink. I've lost count of the number of weeks we spent in hospital either here in Bristol or at Great Ormond Street, with doctors and nurses working patiently to come up with the right drugs and treatment plan to keep her safe. 

We've been lucky that we've had amazing support from friends, family, the NHS, Emilia's school and the Children's Hyperinsulinism Charity (CHC). The charity is run by parents who have children with CHI and are passionate about providing support for other families who also have children with CHI in the form of conferences for education and socialisation, bringing families together to support each other, festive parties for the children and when possible other gatherings throughout the year and around the UK and Ireland. CHC also raise awareness of CHI throughout the UK and Ireland and support world class research into the disease.

Most recently, they took an enormous weight off our shoulders by running a course for teachers and teaching assistants to learn about the condition, the dangers and the treatments. Emilia's school were able to send her teaching assistants on the course and it really set her up for an amazing first school year. 

We're also fortunate that Emilia's condition is relatively mild compared to some CHI kids. For some the struggle to maintain a healthy blood sugar is far more challenging and the support of the CHC is even more important. 

The Children’s Hyperinsulinism Charity relies completely on voluntary support to gain funds to help achieve their goals of helping families and supporting research.Therefore, I'm riding the 100 mile Ride London course for CHC and would massively appreciate any donation you can make. I am sure it would be gratefully received by the charity. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.