On September 12th, 2021, I will be running the Great North Run to raise money for premature baby charity, Bliss. I will be doing this in memory of Chloe Calder,  running with her Dad, my best friend, John. Chloe would have been celebrating her 5th birthday on 6th September.

Chloe Filipa Grace Calder came in to the world on September 6th 2016, 15 weeks early. From that moment, John and his wife, Lorna, were set for a roller coaster of hope and emotion, setbacks and advances, that was to last 82days. After a courageous and spirited battle against breathing difficulties and repeated infection, Chloe sadly passed away on 27th November, peacefully, and in her mummy and daddy's arms.

Throughout this period, John and particularly, Lorna, received invaluable support from premature baby charities, First Touch and Bliss, as well as the best medical support from the nurses and doctors of the NICU at St George's Hospital, London. 

Until this time, I had no idea that Bliss existed and what amazing work they do. The support they give to parents of premature and sick babies, the training they provide to volunteers and nurses, advice to neo-natal care units in hospitals, research to support world-class healthcare for premature and sick babies. 

I would like to raise money to help Bliss continue to provide invaluable support to parents of premature babies. If you are able to sponsor me, any amount you can spare would go a long way to helping Bliss help the families of premature babies.

Every 5 minutes, a baby is admitted to neonatal care in the UK. Bliss is the leading UK charity for babies born premature or sick. They rely on donations to fund their work, and without our help they won't be able to reach the 100,000 babies needing neonatal care each year. Your donation to my page will help Bliss to drive improvements in neonatal care, to ensure that the needs of babies are at the heart of policy and planning for the future, and to provide information and support to all families with a baby born premature or sick.