I am running the Oxford Half Marathon on 12th October 2025 to raise vital funds for SSNAP. I am sharing a very personal experience below that provides the background as to why I am doing this and how any support can have such a positive impact.

SSNAP is a charity that supports new parents through the most challenging of times, often unexpected and one that is meant to be a joyous period. I am incredibly grateful for any donations, no matter how small, you can make. Funds will go towards such a great cause and one that helped us so much, and continues to do so.

Our story:

Our daughter, Rose, was born a beautiful healthy baby at the end of November 2024. The next day, we were home, and a visiting midwife told us Rose looked great and was doing amazingly. We were so happy (but tired!) in our new baby bubble.

Over the next few hours Rose gradually began to find feeding challenging and became very sleepy so we took her to A&E as a precaution. It was there that Rose’s blood sugar levels were identified as being so dangerously low, and, as the medical team tried to help, Rose stopped breathing. Thankfully, Rose was able to be resuscitated and she was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Oxford where she stayed for the next month.

When we arrived in Oxford we were told that Rose was very sick, and they didn't know why. We were told that she probably wouldn’t survive more than a few days. After a couple of days, they discovered Rose had a rare metabolic condition, MCADD, which is normally picked up in the standard day 5 heel prick test, but she was only 3 days old when she stopped breathing. This condition means she has to eat regularly, and it can be dangerous, particularly for a new baby, if she doesn’t eat enough.

Miraculously, after a devastating week, we were told that Rose was doing much better - they had saved her life. The crisis had caused damage to her brain, and they weren’t quite sure how that would impact her future, but we were told we would be able to take our baby home.

Being with our baby in NICU over the festive period, almost losing Rose, is not how we had imagined our first Christmas as a family. It was quite honestly devastating. But we are so grateful for the support we received from SSNAP and the John Radcliffe hospital, not only for Rose but for us too, from emotional and psychological support, to food vouchers and accommodation, as well as Christmas presents (including books we read to Rose now), even when we didn’t quite feel like celebrating! They even helped us bring Rose home on Christmas Eve for one day so we could spend the day outside of the hospital - it was really special and we will be forever grateful to the team who facilitated and accompanied us.

Rose is continuing to go from strength to strength and proving everyone wrong. She is a happy, determined little girl that has overcome so much. She is very cheeky, socially curious and always smiling. We feel blessed to be Rose's parents and I feel grateful every day to be her dad. We have been able to do things with Rose that at one point we thought may never be possible. From tiny first steps out of the house like going for a coffee, to big adventures like going to Edinburgh...and after the half marathon we will be taking Rose to Cornwall, a place close to our hearts.

To support SSNAP through running, which became a coping mechanism for me while Rose was in hospital, and since being home, means a lot. SSNAP fund essential medical life-saving equipment, research and support the amazing NHS staff on the neonatal unit with training and study days to provide the best of care - the care that Rose received.

Since leaving John Radcliffe, the support has remained unwavering. We always felt and still feel the support from the fantastic team who are incredibly committed to what they do. From the inspiring nurses who met us with positivity every day and helped us bond with Rose in an alien environment and the amazing consultants who saved her life, to the physiotherapists and psychologists who gave us guidance for Rose and mental health support to us even after returning home. During the run I will be thinking of each and every one of these superstars. We cannot thank you enough.