Eight-year-old Theo Harrison has completed a marathon for the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals department that saved his life. Mum Sam takes up the story
An eight-year-old boy who spent his first weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at NNUH has completed a marathon run raising more than £2,000 for the department which cared for him. Theo Harrison was born with a serious lung defect but instead of asking for toys for his birthday on 2 March, he asked for a pair of new running shoes to take on the challenge to run 26 miles throughout March.
The youngster, from Cringleford, smashed his £1,000 target, raising an incredible £2,190 for the NICU fund, part of the N&N Hospitals Charity.
Mum Sam said: “Theo spent one month in total at the NICU and Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is where he had surgery at 19 days old to remove a lesion from his left lung. The team at NNUH played a huge role in Theo being transferred to GOSH to get the surgery that he needed – we will be forever grateful to Dr Florence and the team for really fighting Theo’s corner.”
“For his 5th birthday, Theo asked for friends to donate books instead of gifts which he wanted to give to the NICU and as we approached his 8th birthday he suggested running a marathon, to which I suggested we do so across a month rather than in one go!
“He has run the marathon since the start of March, even running on his birthday, and has taken the odd rest days. He has been fitting in the runs around school, football and golf! He’s had a lot of support from loved ones with some even running with him which he has loved.”
The money Theo has raised will go to NNUH’s highly specialist unit looking after the needs of premature and critically ill babies.
Julie Cooper, Head of Charity at N&N Hospitals Charity, said: “We are so grateful to Theo for supporting our charity – what an amazing achievement to have completed the marathon across his birthday month – true dedication, particularly as Theo’s family have experienced NICU first hand.
“The donations he has received for NICU will help us care for babies with the most complex needs. In the past donations have been used to purchase new Babyleo Incubators, helping to give babies the environment they need to thrive, they have funded accommodation for parents who need to stay on site to be near their babies and they have provided specialist training for NICU nurses.”
If you would like to support our NICU, you make a donation here: justgiving.com/campaign/nnuhnicu. For more information about the N&N Hospitals Charity and the work we do, contact charity@nnuh.nhs.uk
Featured images of Theo – supplied
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