Horley midwife to run half-marathon for pregnancy charity (From Redhill And Reigate Life)
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Horley midwife to run half-marathon for pregnancy charity
9:37pm Monday 10th September 2012 in News
A midwife from Horley will next month (October) run a half-marathon through four of London's Royal Parks in aid of a charity dedicated to research into pregnancy problems.
Beckie Low, 36, will be running 13.1-miles through Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park and St James’s Park, to raise money for Tommy's.
The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon for Tommy’s will take place on Sunday, October 7, with some 12,500 runners.
In the last four years, the event has raised nearly £11 million for more than 360 UK partner charities, including Mind, Cancer Research UK, UNICEF and Tommy's, as well as helping the Royal Parks Foundation support London’s Royal Parks.
Beckie will be taking part in this year’s half marathon because, she said, as a midwife at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, she is all too aware of the devastating effect on families when a pregnancy fails or a baby dies, and often their desperate need to know why.
She has been undergoing a rigorous training regime for her run and hopes to raise at least £350 for Tommy’s. She said: “I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon and am relishing the challenge.
“This will be a significant personal achievement for myself and I cannot wait for the big day.”
She said: “Sadly, one in four women will lose a baby during pregnancy and birth.
“Tommy's funds research into pregnancy problems and provides information to parents.”
A spokesman for Tommy's said: “At Tommy’s we believe every pregnancy should have a happy ending.
“We want to give every baby the best chance of being born healthy, so we work to fund medical research into the causes of premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage, and provide a free information service that educates all parents-to-be about health in pregnancy.” The cause, which also operates a telephone midwife service, a comprehensive website and offers free books and leaflets promoting health in pregnancy, has set a target of halving the number of babies who die during pregnancy or birth by 2030.
Website: www.tommys.org People wanting to sponsor Beckie's half-marathon can do so online by visiting her fundraising page at: www.virginmoneygiving.com/beckielow
