Ickle Pickles runners raise over £6,000 for much-needed neonatal equipment
Fundraising | Charity Challenge
Great South Run and Yorkshire Marathon runners raised £6,196 for Queen Alexandra (Portsmouth), St Richard’s (Chichester) and St Helier Hospital’s neonatal units.
Ickle Pickles’ Great South Run challengers, George, Jamie, Ryan, Lea, Robbie, Mark and Kate as well as little Henry and Teddy, collectively raised £2,370 for much-needed neonatal equipment.
Ickle Pickles Henry and Teddy completed the Junior Great South Run in honour of all babies born too soon. Henry was born at 32 weeks and 4 days in NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). He says, “I spent 23 long days and nights away from my mummy and daddy in the NICU at Queen Alexandra Hospital, being looked after by the wonderful doctors and nurses there. The charity Ickle Pickles really helped my family out and supported them throughout my stay and beyond. They held coffee mornings where I could go and safely meet other children and their parents who knew how dangerous germs could be for me. No one looked at me differently even though I had oxygen tubes.
I am running the Great South Run Minis so I can raise some pennies to help other Ickle Pickles and their families be supported and buy life-saving equipment!”
George, Jamie, Ryan, Lea, Robbie, Mark and Kate planned to take on the Great South Run, but the event had to be cancelled due to the high winds and heavy rain forecast. They still completed their challenge and raised an amazing amount for premature and sick babies.
Lea ran for her son Rocco who was born at 26 weeks weighing just 1lb 3oz. She writes, “Thanks to the wonderful Portsmouth NICU he survived his early birth and is smashing every milestone. Please dig deep and give whatever you can for this amazing cause - like myself, you will never know when you or your loved ones may need Ickle Pickles’ help.”
Yorkshire Marathon runner Max raised a fantastic total of £3,826 for St Helier Hospital’s neonatal unit thanks to matched funding by software company Service Now. Running through torrential rain on his son’s first birthday, he completed the marathon in just 4 hours and 55 minutes.
On behalf of the Ickle Pickles, we want to thank all our runners for helping other families get equally great neonatal care. Together, we can give every newborn a chance.
Help us raise funds for premature and sick babies and join #TeamIcklePickles at the Alton Towers Kids Race on the 16th of November.
