When my mum rang me on a cold Monday in February at 8.15am I knew something wasn’t right, but I never expected she’d be calling for the reason she was. “This baby’s coming today, I’ll ring you when I know more” – her words literaly froze me in my tracks and the last place I wanted to be at that precise moment was in the car park at work. My sister Michelle was 30 weeks pregnant and in labour. Having threatened the week before she’d already had steroids to help the baby’s lungs but we’d hoped and prayed that the wee mit would stay put for another couple of weeks. But nature had other plans and her baby boy Haiden was born that morning weighing just over 3lbs. He was rushed to the special care baby unit and that’s where he was to stay for the next 7 weeks.
I’m lucky because I’ve had 2 very normal pregnancies and my children were born at full term. I got to hold them when they were newly in the world and introduce them to their family. I got to take them home and go shopping for little outfits. My sister didn’t get to experience that first rush of relief & joy. At 30 weeks she barely looked pregnant, didn’t have the chance to nest or get her house in order, didn’t get to the waddling “get this thing out of me” stage. Instead she had to content herself with watching him through the glass of his incubator. Having a first cuddle would have to wait, but when it came it was joyous. Haiden fought a tough battle in his first weeks and got to come home to meet his family in April, which exceeded all expectations.
Michelle & Darran wanted to do something for SCBU who cared for both Haiden & them in those first weeks & Tinylife the premature baby charity. Darran completed the Mourne Mountain Marathon in May for SCBU and raised vital funds towards equipment for the unit.
As for me, I contacted Tinylife and Charity Challenge about doing a trek in Cuba. I would have to raise a minimum of £2,500 and train in order to be fit for the 75km trek across the Escambray Mountains. This would be way out of my comfort zone and would be a challenge in every aspect, but every time I thought of it I knew it was what I needed to do.
Of course when I told my family what I planned to do they did mention that I was mad, but they’ve gotten over that and have been very supportive. I’ve spent a lot of time organising events and even more time pounding the pavement round Downpatrick. I’ve a long way to go both in training and fundraising, but it’s worth it because I’m supporting Michelle, Darran & other parents in Northern Ireland who sit by incubators praying for the day when their precious bundle is ready to come home.