I’m running the London Marathon – gulp! And here’s why…

When we received the news that our first round of fertility treatment had created twins, we were understandably delighted. Months on end of wondering if we would ever become parents ended.

But all that excitement and joy came to a crashing end in December 2015 when Isabelle and Jack were born at 27 weeks and 5 days gestation – more than three months earlier than they should.

Extremely premature and in a critical condition, they were rushed to neonatal intensive care in the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Both placed on life support, their survival was in the balance, particularly for Isabelle who was in a perilous position.

That became their home for the next 9 (Jack) and 11 weeks, with countless ups and downs along the way. Bleeding on the brain, immature lungs that were in need of assistance for weeks on end and numerous other problems hit them.

To cut a long story short, Isabelle and Jack survived. In fact, they did more than that and next year they will turn 10. They’ll hit that age with no scars from their terrifying start to life – just two energetic, intelligent and thriving children that we are immensely proud of.

But this incredible journey doesn’t happen without the Leicester Royal Infirmary’s neonatal unit and its unbelievable staff. For weeks on end they watched on diligently, making call after call to help them progress. They did so with compassion and understanding of what Nikki and I were going through, leaving us at ease with who was looking after them when we left each evening.

Almost a decade on, our gratitude is unchanged and as we celebrate 10 years of Isabelle and Jack late in 2025, I want to raise money to make sure other miracle stories like ours happen.

Thousands of babies have been through the unit since the twins did, many experiencing similar outcomes to what we did because of the world class care they received.

Neonatal care is expensive – it costs approximately £75,000 to take a 27-week neonate from the start of their journey to going home.

The funds that I raise will allow them to go the extra mile beyond what they receive from the NHS. That could be buying new equipment or creating better facilities for parents.

To make this a reality I am running the London Marathon in aid of Leicester Hospital’s Charity. I have never run this distance, and while I’m excited, I’m aware this is going to test me to the limit. I’ll need to train hard and stick to the plan. But I will do it.

The emotional energy of what happened to the twins always drives me and it will continue to do just that when I am on a long, wet and wintry training run or as I enter the ‘hard yards’ on race day. Please donate whatever you comfortably can – I will be extremely grateful for anything you can give to support my cause.

Tony x