On 18th November 2024, our gorgeous little Jack was born. Less than 24 hours after the happiest moment of my life came the most terrifying. At just 22 hours old our perfect boy was rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Hospital for Children and Young People to undergo lifesaving surgery.

During Jack’s stay in hospital, we were looked after by Ronald McDonald House Charities. They provided us with a place to stay so we could be as close to our boy as possible. While Jack recovered in critical care we could be at his bedside in a matter of seconds, a stark difference from the hours drive we would have faced otherwise. No parent should be unwillingly separated from their child, and the work that Ronald McDonald House does to prevent this from happening is invaluable.

By the end of the summer, Jack will have had his third and final major surgery and we are so grateful for the support from Ronnie Mac’s that I want to do something to give back.

That’s why this September I’m running The Great North Run in aid of Ronald McDonald House Charities. As a family we will have cost the charity around £750 and I need your support to give it back!

Have I ever run anywhere near 21km? Absolutely not. Have I bitten off way more than I can chew? Most likely yes! But it’s the least I can do to honour my brave little boy.

*UPDATE*

Jack had his final (🤞) surgery back in June. Little fact about the Ronald Mcdonald, you can’t request a room until the day your child is admitted to hospital so when we arrived for Jack’s surgery in the morning we had no idea wether we’d have somewhere to stay during his recovery. As we carried Jack through to pre-theatre where we were allowed to stay by his side as he was put under GA (any parents who have ever had to see their child undergo this will know how horrifying it is to witness. The fact that this is a common occurrence for some families is a pain & suffering I can’t even comprehend.) a nurse approached us and let us know that unfortunately Ronnie Macs was full to capacity & they wouldn’t have a room for us. I was absolutely devastated. The thought of not having his dad with us during Jack’s recovery; which we had been warned would be his toughest yet, was terrifying to me. Anybody who’s ever had the misfortune of staying in the children’s ward will know that despite the best effort of the amazing staff, it’s not for the faint-hearted. Not only having to see your own child in pain but constant emergency alarms & seeing the heartbreak other families are enduring is really tough. As fate would have it, by the time we received the call 4 hours later letting us know Jack was out of surgery and waiting on us in post-theatre, another amazing super-kid had been well enough to be discharged from hospital and thus a room had become available in Ronald Mcdonald. The sense of relief we felt was palpable. As usual Jack blew us all away with his bravery & resilience and we were able to be discharged after a record 2 night stay. He is incredible.

We will never ever lose sight how incredibly lucky we are that our boy is happy, healthy & has a beautiful future ahead of him. I’ll thank the stars every day. It all turned out great for us in the end but the fear I felt in that moment when they told us they didn’t have a room for us really drove home how important this charity is for families going through the toughest times. It truly is a lifeline for people.

Please help me honour Jack and donate what you can, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you