Leslie is running the 2016 London Marathon for us. She has tells us how her daughter, Lucy, is the inspiration behind her challenge.
‘I applied to run for Sparks because my daughter, Lucy, was born 6 weeks prematurely. She had to be airlifted to another hospital just after her birth due to respiratory distress syndrome and she stopped breathing several times during the journey. It was touch and go while Lucy was put on different neonatal ventilators while we waited for the surfactant (a substance which tends to reduce the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved) to start working.
It was a terrifying time as none of the ventilators seemed to agree with her and there was danger of her lungs puncturing or collapsing. Even though she was very tiny, she was really strong and loud! When I sang to her she would somehow make it over to my face and relax a little bit. I put a photo next to her of her older brother and sister and told her “these guys are waiting for you, Lucy”. Finally, at virtually the eleventh hour, she began responding well to something called a hummingbird oscillating ventilator. I have always felt that those words were immensely comforting and think that something called a hummingbird was quite appropriate to our beautiful Lu.
She is now 14 and is a stellar artist, great sister, lovely pianist and generally just a wonderful girl. She is the light of my life and a truely miracle baby. She wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for research and the tireless doctors and nurses who care so much for the little people and parents that come into the NICU.
So I’m running for her. On the day after my 50th birthday!’