On 6th October 2018 I am taking part in a 21k row to raise money for a charity that is close to my heart.

The iMRI Scanner Appeal aims to raise £4m to purchase state-of-the-art, intra-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (iMRI) equipment that will revolutionise surgical care at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

As some of you may know, my absolute babe of a Goddaughter, Iris Julia, has Spina Bifida, hydrocephalus, Scoliosis and Arnold Chairi Malformations. Although all of her conditions will affect her life in various ways, her hydrocephalus is the condition that has (so far) proved most dangerous and difficult to manage.

Iris underwent several surgeries on her brain in the first few months of her life and the amazing team of neurosurgeons at RMCH worked tirelessly to control her condition. Under the guidance of Roberto Ramirez, Iris was eventually fitted with a programmable VP shunt that will help her live with her hydrocephalus and protect her brain from any lasting damage.

The specialist team of children's neurosurgeons at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, rely on MRI scans taken before surgery to guide them to the area of the brain requiring treatment, and again after surgery to see whether the operation has been successful.

The iMRI scanner is an amazing piece of machinery and its presence in theatre at RMCH means that children, like Iris, would need fewer general anesthetics and potentially fewer surgeries - they could go straight from the scanner into surgery as many times as needed. The surgeons would have all the information they need to reach the affected area of the brain. Families (and doting Godmothers) could rest assured that their child has left theatre only after ever everything that could possible be done, has been done.

The first weeks and months of this gorgeous little girls life, I watched her and her amazing family go through so much and felt absolutely useless. Now it's time to push myself to raise money for tis fantastic cause and hopefully make a difference for other families in the future.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.