My Story

Back on 24th October 2016 I got the biggest shock of my life. My son Theo was born…3 months early!

We were spending a long weekend on the south coast when Theo arrived unexpectedly. He weighed just 2 pounds and was no bigger than the palm of my hand. He spent 13 weeks in neonatal intensive care and there were some incredibly testing moments, particularly when he suffered a serious infection and needed immediate attention from the doctors.

Thanks to the phenomenal efforts of the paediatric staff of the NHS, Theo was allowed to come home just after Christmas.

However the drama didn’t end there. It was clear that Theo had an inflamed tummy that was swelling rapidly. After several trips to our local hospital, he was sent in an ambulance to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

The Paediatric Surgeon, took one look at Theo and said ‘I have two bits of news for you. Firstly, I know exactly what the issue is. Secondly, I’ll be operating on him in 45 minutes.’ We were grateful and stunned in equal measure. 

Theo was taken to theatre immediately for an operation on his small intestine. Because we live some distance from the hospital, they generously arranged for us to stay in accommodation nearby which allowed us to we see him every day for the fortnight he stayed there.

A few months later (after making a fantastic recovery) Theo went back to GOSH to have a reversal of his ileostomy now that he was developing normally and again, they were kind enough to find somewhere local for us to stay until he could return home.

Theo is now a healthy, bright and energetic 6 year old. I can’t ever repay the care my family received when he was born but I’d like to do my bit by running this years London Marathon and raising funds for GOSH.

Anything you’d be kind enough to donate would be very much appreciated to allow GOSH to continue with the amazing work they do on behalf of thousands of children each year.

Thank you