The rate of babies born premature or sick in the UK is rising with 1 in every 7 babies needing neonatal care. Bliss is continuing the fight to improve outcomes and quality of life for these babies - but we need your help to do that. 

Our daughter Florence was born on the 24th July 2015, at 25 weeks gestation, (over 3 months early) weighing 1lb 12Oz / 785g.  Our whole world turned upside down immediately. The premature birth was a very difficult experience, with 21 people in the room, consisting of nurses, doctors and consultants when Florence was born.

Once Florence was born we were immediately parachuted into a world of neonatal intensive care that we had never experienced before.

At the beginning, we felt totally helpless, you don't know what to do, we couldn't hold Florence until day 5, when she had her first kangaroo care cuddle with my my wife, Clare. The nurses were excellent in encouraging us to help with the care, which we got better at as the days progressed but always felt so nervous as she was just so delicate and tiny. 

The days were long, with my wife spending over 12 hours per day at the hospital and us both feeling guilty the entire time that our 2.5 yr old son, Henry wasn't getting the attention he needed.

Florence spent the next 6 weeks in NICU at Addenbrookes in Cambridge before being transferred to Chelmsford nicu where she spent the next 5 weeks.  She had her first bath and learnt how to breast feed which enabled her to come home on the 8th October, one month before her due date.

Florence is now 8 years old and truly flourishing, she is the tallest in her year group at school, and doing incredibly well at everything she turns her hand to. She's a keen swimmer, loves her gymnastics and is learning to sail.

We feel incredibly fortunate to have Florence with us let alone with absolutely no ongoing health problems.

Along with all the amazing nurses, doctors and consultants, Bliss were a constant support throughout, preparing us for the next steps and giving us the confidence when the day came  to finally leave hospital!

I would like to give back to this amazing charity and the work they do for premature and sick babies, in particular the ongoing research programme they are running.

I would be truly grateful if you are able to support me and this charity by donating anything you possibly can.