James William Shaw was born on 21st September 2016. Three minutes later his twin sister Isabel followed.

Jimmy really was exceptionally handsome. He had a full head of auburn hair with a highlight streak of blond on his crown, which had seemingly already undergone a designer haircut. Nurses nicknamed him ‘One Direction’. 

His parents took James and Isabel home, and they couldn't have been happier. Both twins were thriving. But at just five-and-a-half-weeks old, however,  little Jimmy became unexpectedly and desperately unwell. Tests showed the most likely cause was sepsis (an overwhelming infection) and a complicating blood clot to his bowel. 

Despite the heroic efforts of hospital staff, the Children's Acute Transfer Service (CATS) ambulance team and ultimately Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Intensive Care Unit - including emergency gastrointestinal surgery - Jimmy could not be saved.  

He died in his parents arms on the evening of 31st October, covered in the kisses of his mummy and daddy who told him how loved he was. It is beyond words how traumatised they felt after those two days of seeing Jimmy so poorly, and how bereft his death left them. Their hearts were truly broken.

Three weeks after Jimmy died, and just two days after his parents had buried him, his twin sister Izzy suddenly became unwell from an unrelated condition (a diaphragmatic hernia). They were just seemingly that unlucky. 

Within 24 hours, Izzy was undergoing life-or-death gastrointestinal surgery at GOSH. Going through this for a second time was nothing short of torture for his parents. They genuinely believed they were going to lose another child that day. 

To their overwhelming relief, however, Izzy’s operation was successful. Their joy was only mitigated by the terrible sadness that James wasn't there to share it with them.

To help repay some of our incalculable debt, his parents set up the Little Jimmy Brighter Future Fund in honour and memory of their son... I am running to raise funds for the Fund.