On average in the UK, at least

-two babies a day develop a group B Strep infection

-one baby a week dies from their GBS infection, and

-one baby a week survives with long-term disabilities; physical, mental or both.

A little over a year ago, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who was severely infected with Group B Strep. His first few moments earthside were spent being resuscitated multiple times as his body struggled to fight the severity of the infection and the newborn days were spent as an inpatient with IVs, scans and x-rays. Thanks to the early identification from the Dr he is now named after - he made a full recovery. We are aware every day that not every family is as lucky as we are to be in this position.

Group B Strep Support is the only UK charity dedicated to eradicating GBS infection in babies. They work tirelessly to educate parents and health professionals, push for better testing and prevention in pregnancy, and offer support to families affected, such as ours.

Training for this half marathon will be a personal journey: I’m doing it for my son, who teaches me every day that I can do things harder than I could ever imagine. For myself, as there was a time in hospital in between multiple blood transfusions that I swore I’d never be able to walk again. And most importantly - for the families who’ve been through this and for their babies who deserve a safer start in life.

Please donate what you can, whether it’s the price of a coffee, a drink you would’ve bought me in the 9 months of pregnancy, or a bit more if you’re able. Every pound raised helps fund life-saving education, support, and research.

With love,

H & H x