In 2012, my son Nyall was born 10 weeks early.

On day three of his life, he was transferred to Royal Berkshire Hospital and admitted to Buscot Ward — where we would spend the next eight weeks.

He was tiny. Fragile. Fighting from the very beginning.

At week four, Nyall contracted an infection and became very sick. It was one of the most stressful and traumatic times of our lives. Sitting beside an incubator, watching monitors, waiting for updates — no parent ever forgets that feeling.

But he fought. And he recovered.

The care, compassion and support we received from the team on Buscot Ward — and from BIBS — were invaluable. They supported not just Nyall, but us as a family. In moments when we felt overwhelmed and afraid, they were there.

Today, Nyall is 13 years old. Bigger than me. Stronger than me. And I’m so proud of him.

I’m running my first ever half marathon to give back to the charity that helped carry us through those early weeks and months.

If you’re able to donate, no matter how small, it would mean so much. BIBS supports families facing the unimaginable — and I know first-hand how important that support is.

Thank you for reading, for sharing, and for supporting us. 💛

Im running the iconic local event - Reading Half Marathon and Green Park Challenge on Sunday 22nd March 2026.

Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS) are a small charity supporting babies and their families on the neonatal unit, Buscot Ward at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

The charity focuses in four main areas of activity, which we call keeping Buscot families "SAFE":

Support - providing families with independent emotional support while their baby is on Buscot, and beyond.

Awareness - we help inform parents about what to expect from a stay on Buscot by providing written information and we raise awareness of issues related to prematurity or sickness at birth.

Facilities - we refurbish facilities and accommodation on the ward to provide a more homely environment.

Equipment - We fund state of the art equipment for the ward including incubators, cardiac monitors, ventilators, phototherapy units and much more.