My Story

Trigger warning: contains birth trauma content 

Hello and welcome to my London Marathon fundraising page. Reaching this page and educating yourself about group B Strep(GBS) is enough for me as you’ll hopefully learn something new and empower yourself with knowledge that can either help you or a loved one. If you can donate to a great cause even better, thanks so much for your support! I've never ran a marathon before so looking forward to challenging myself mentally and physically. I promise to complete it even if I'm having to crawl it! 

Both my daughter, Uma-Orelia and I nearly died during child birth due to GBS infections. We’d never heard of GBS until it shattered our own world when Uma arrived. I will be running the London marathon on behalf of the brilliant Group B Strep Support (GBBS). This amazing charity is so close to our family's heart and we’ve really loved working with them over the last couple of years. I feel so honoured to be raising awareness and fundraising on behalf of a charity who supports families impacted by GBS, provides advice and education but also influences change within the NHS maternal care. GBSS have played a huge part in helping my own family heal, following a terrifying birth when we needed answers and support. We couldn’t believe a simple test could have prevented so much trauma and heartache as GBS infections are preventable. 

I can’t imagine my life without my cheeky, independent, fun-loving 2 year old Uma. But there was a strong chance of that back in January 2021. My baby girl was born lifeless via emergency C-section, under general anaesthetic. She needed to be resuscitated and fought for her life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). I had maternal sepsis and my body was shutting down and I too was fighting for my life so didn’t meet Uma until hours later. My beautiful, miracle, warrior had no parent to welcome her into the world when she took her first breath. My story had a happy ending despite the mental health challenges and trauma that changes your perspective on life forever. I always count my blessings, that are my two daughters and will forever be grateful to the amazing medics that night who saved a little baby girl and her mother. 

Group B Strep is the UK's most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies and of meningitis in babies under age 3 months.

On average in the UK, at least:

-Two babies a day develop a group B Strep infection such as meningitis, sepsis or pneumonia 

-One baby a week dies from their GBS infection

-One baby a week survives with long-term disabilities – physical, mental or both.

Yet most group B Strep infections are preventable!

We must continue to raise awareness of group B Strep and campaign for change until GBS screening is introduced in the UK. Mothers who test positive are offered antibiotics during labour.

My post traumatic growth has ignited the activist in me, and I want to influence change, make a difference and create a world where families are not devasted by group B Strep. I'll be running for all those babies who didn't make it, babies who fought their life like our Uma and babies who went on to have life changing disabilities caused by GBS infections. We may be a minority but every child and new parent deserves a chance at life ❤️