Jonathan’s story

Jonathan completed the Marathon des Sables (known as the toughest footrace on earth) to raise money for a ‘Giraffe OmniBed’ specialist incubator for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). But he didn’t stop there – read his story below:

‘After a difficult pregnancy and many emergency hospital trips, my daughter India was born at three months premature in February 2020. She weighed only 2.5lb and had to be put straight into an incubator in the NICU at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where she stayed for many weeks.

‘Thanks to the miracle workers at Chelsea and Westminster’s NICU, India survived and is now thriving. To show my huge gratitude to all the wonderful nurses and doctors who looked after her, I decided to set myself the challenge of running the Marathon des Sables – six marathons in seven days in the Moroccan desert – to raise £30,000 for a state-of-the-art incubator for the unit. I was so grateful to the many generous people who donated.’

Having met his initial target and funded the purchase of the Giraffe OmniBed, Jonathan set himself a new goal of £80,000 to fund a second incubator for the hospital – this time one that can be used to transport premature babies in ambulances and helicopters, giving them the best chance of life. And he’s well on his way, having completed an Ironman challenge in Germany and, most recently, the Paris Marathon!