On the 22nd of October 2019 Sadie and Mair Shaw were born, nearly 4 months early. They weighed just 700 grams each and in their first days and weeks contended with bleeds on the brain and lungs, sepsis, cardiac arrest and multiple other medical challenges as the result of their extreme prematurity - challenges that no newborn baby should have to endure.

From the moment they were born, Sadie and Mair received intensive round the clock care from the amazing staff at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St George's Hospital in Tooting. Mair spent three months and Sadie spent the first six months of her life at the hospital, including four months on a ventilator. Sadie was one of the first children to use a pioneering NAVA ventilator - one of just two on the ward at the time. This piece of equipment undoubtedly saved her life.

Statistically the twins shouldn’t be here, but miraculously they are now bubbly 6 year olds. They're excelling at school and love dressing up, reading, baking and playing with their friends. And they are here due to incredible care they received at St George's neonatal unit.

First Touch is the dedicated charity of St George's neonatal unit - it works hard to provide state-of-the art medical equipment such as ventilators and incubators, staff training and as well as a range of initiatives to support families during their stay on the unit, to ensure each baby has the best possible outcome against the odds. The equipment and specialist staff training they fund falls outside of the capabilities of NHS budgets.

One of the top neonatal and foetal medicine units in the country, St. George’s and First Touch care for extremely sick and premature children from across the UK. As well as vital medical resource, they also fund much needed snacks, hot food and drinks for the frontline nurses and doctors who staff the neonatal unit 24 hours each day, and parents with babies on the unit for whom getting to the shops can be difficult.

No parent should have to see their child battle for life from their very first moments, but with 25 per 1000 births requiring neonatal care, it is far more common than people realise.

To raise much-needed funds for First Touch, we are attempting to climb Island Peak in the Himalayas, Nepal. Island peak is 6189 metres (c20,000ft) above sea level, Tim and Ben will spend around 14 days in the Himalayas. Getting to the summit requires ropes, ice axes, crampons, (possible) crevasse crossings - all teachable - and a touch of common sense - unfortunately not teachable. Whilst we have climbed high before and spent time in the Himalayas, this is a huge challenge for us and something we haven’t done before ! As our Guiding company puts it ‘When Everest Base Camp is your ‘warm up’, you perhaps realise that Island Peak is big!

Please help us reach our target by making a donation through this page and sharing it with your friends and family.

*NB disclaimer, Ben is currently Chair of First Touch