Hey, I’m Kris Newell – founder of the eComm brand LWLSS, Primary School Teacher and proud father of 2 beautiful girls.

I'm running the Melbourne Marathon this year to raise funds for special place close to our hearts.

Back in April 2024, our second daughter, Lottie, was born with unexpected and severe complications. She was rushed from Geelong to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.

We were told her condition was critical. She was diagnosed with HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy) – a serious brain injury caused by lack of oxygen. The doctors prepared us for the worst. Those first few days were the worst days of our life.

But with the care and dedication of the doctors and nurses at the Royal Women’s NICU, something amazing happened — Lottie began to recover.

My wife Jaclyn and I stayed by her side day and night for ten days. The team not only cared for our daughter like she was their own, they supported us through one of the hardest moments of our lives. They gave us hope when we had none. Eventually, Lottie was strong enough to be transferred back to Geelong.

During our time there, I told Jaclyn I wanted to give something back. To say thank you, even in a small way, to the people who saved our little girl’s life.

So this year, I’ve signed up to run the Melbourne Marathon, aiming to complete it in around 3 hours 30 mins (approx 5min ks) and use it as a way to raise funds for the NICU at the Royal Women’s Hospital.

I’ll be using LWLSS to help promote and share this fundraiser — not for the brand, but because it’s the best way I know to spread the word and make a difference.

If you’ve got a few dollars to spare, we’d be incredibly grateful for your support. Your donation will help other families going through the unimaginable, and support the amazing NICU team who do life-saving work every single day.

Cheers,

Kris