Shortly after the birth of my daughter, Rosie, in January 2021 I began to feel breathless. Thinking I was just recovering from the sepsis that I developed during labour and anaemia due to blood loss during my caesarean, I waited it out. Over the weeks and months it became worse and worse, to the point where I was out of breathe getting out of bed and I physically couldn't safely carry Rosie up the stairs. My oxygen levels were sitting around 88% when I was at rest, dropping to 82-84% if I tried to do anything. Blood tests showed nothing, x-rays showed nothing...

I was admitted to hospital in May 2021 where I was eventually diagnosed with a condition called Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis resulting in massive inflammation of my lungs. I spent 5 days on Ward 204 (Respiratory) at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with Rosie, who was 4 months old at the time, until I was well enough to be treated at home. 

The staff on Ward 204 did everything to make sure I could stay with my daughter and they took such wonderful care of both of us. They played with Rosie when I had to have tests and offered to care for her if I needed them to. Nothing was too much for them. They are absolute heroes, every single one of them. 

The staff of Ward 204 have been through so much as the central ward for Covid19 patients during the pandemic, on top of seeing and treating 'regular' patients like me so I am running the Scottish Half Marathon 2022 to raise money for them through the Edinburgh & Lothians Health Foundation. 

I'm still undergoing regular tests to determine whether I have permanent lung damage so I'm also doing this for me. To prove that I can.

May 2021.. I couldn't walk up the stairs.

Sept 2022.. I'm going to run/jog/walk, whatever I have to do to get through those 13.1 miles.

Please give what you can!

Ella xx