Thanks for taking the time to visit our just giving page.

As many of you know Ben was born in November 2015 very unexpectedly at 26 weeks - over 3 months early and weighing only 1lb 13oz. Over his time in hospital he battled a brain haemorrhage, chronic lung disease, jaundice, infections and required nine blood transfusions. He also needed surgery for PDA, a common heart condition in premature babies in which a duct just outside the heart does not close as it should, as well as two further surgeries to correct a hernia.

After 82 days, in 3 different hospitals, Ben finally came home in February 2016 on home oxygen. Ben has some issues as a result of his prematurity and brain injury. He has hemiplegia, a type of cerebral palsy, and has difficulties using his left-hand side. That said it's amazing to see how far he's come. He started walking independently earlier this year, something that in the early days we weren't sure we'd ever see. He has grown into a very happy, bright little boy and we couldn't be more proud.

The support received from everyone working on the neonatal unit, and from Bliss, was great and we will be forever grateful. It's for this reason we'd like to give something back to help this amazing charity. This is why we're taking part in the Bliss London Little Lights Walk 2019, one day after Ben's fourth birthday and one day before World Prematurity Day. Ben has been in training and we can't wait to see him walk round the course!

Any donations to this great cause will be very gratefully received. We really appreciate all your support and thank you for any donations.

Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Just Giving - 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.