The rate of babies born premature or sick in the UK is rising, with 1 in every 7 babies needing neonatal care. This would always have been important, but until two years ago it was relatively remote to me. Then my son Albie was born.

I would have been out of my depth as a new parent whether he was premature or not, but to say I was unprepared for what was to come is an understatement. We spent about 5 weeks shuttling between home and the neonatal intensive care unit at UCLH, an incredibly short amount of time compared to many parents of premature babies. They were long and frequently difficult days, bookended by frantically doing all the jobs at home I thought I'd have more time for before he was born.

At times it felt never-ending, and I found the whole experience completely overwhelming. Making it harder was that this took place in the middle of the pandemic. Like thousands, in different walks of life and for different reasons, we were going through the hardest time of our lives and were desperate to see our friends and family. We felt almost alone.

We weren't completely alone, though. In addition to the amazing medical team at UCLH, support of family and friends on the phone, as well as the new friends we made on the ward (love you Si & Em), the support provided by Bliss meant a huge amount. For me, every disorientating experience was aided by the information and support they provide to parents, and they do so much more for families in much more difficult situations. They do absolutely amazing work and are continuing the fight to improve outcomes and quality of life for these babies.

I'm raising money for this brilliant charity to continue the amazing work they do. I'm also doing it for Albie, his best mate Arthur, and all the NICU graduates out there. Watching these little people get stronger every day is the best inspiration I could imagine.

Any support would mean so much - I've never done anything like this before and it is very hard!

Thanks so much for reading.

Ben