This November I’m taking on the Premmie Marathon Challenge
As most people will know, our little warrior Lorenzo was born extremely preterm at only 29 weeks gestation and weighing only 740g. He spent a long 104 days in hospital where his life was saved by an incredible team more times than we can count.
A couple of years ago Running for premature babies and Flinders Foundation helped raise enough money for the Flinders NNU to receive a life saving machine - the NAVA Ventilator. We were so fortunate that this machine was available for us as Lorenzo was able to be extubated early and be placed on the NAVA Ventilator to assist with his breathing.
November is Prematurity Awareness month and prior to having a premmie myself, I didn't really know anyone with an extreme premature baby nor did I really have any idea of how early babies can be born and the multitude of complications that can arise from this.
1 in 10 babies are born preterm in Australia, and preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children under 5 years old in the developed world. The amount of care and medical intervention that is required for extremely preterm babies in particular is astounding, and the level of care that we were able to receive for our littlest love amazes me every day. We are so fortunate that Lorenzo will be supported with follow ups for his development for at least 8 years due to his prematurity.
To raise awareness and funds for vital equipment to save these tiny humans, I'm walking/running 42km during the month of November.
If anyone would like to make a tax deductible donattion, we would really appreciate it! And if anyone is interested in taking on the challenge, you can click the 'my team' button to join Team Lorenzo and register to walk, run, swim or cycle whatever marathon distance you would like ?
