This beautiful little baby is River. River is a miracle baby who turns one next week, we are fundraising for a better future for River.

River is severely delayed in her life milestones due to her journey thus far. River needs ongoing physiotherapy and specialised equipment to give her every opportunity to live her best life!

We are Nathan and Laura, this year we will taking part in a number of events to raise money for our dear friend and her baby River. In May we ran the Hackney Half Marathon. Up next Nathan is going to be running the Richmond Marathon on Sunday 10th September.

River's story as told by her Mum:

River was born unexpectedly just over 10 weeks early in Sri Lanka due to me experiencing an abruption of the placenta. River weighed 3.5 pounds and was in NICU for the next month due to complex health complications including developing epilepsy and experiencing a brain bleed grade 4. At two months old and weighing 5 pounds and defying the odds, River flew home to England with me and my Mum.

Within two weeks of coming home, River developed hydrocephalus and needed a life long shunt inserted into her head to save her life. In the past year alone River has had a number of hospital admissions due to; unexplained episodes of apnoea (stopping breathing), shunt replacement and pneumonia, to name a few.

River lights up my life, all those around her and anyone she meets, she radiates love and is so motivated to develop and live her best life. River is growing stronger physically day by day, but due to her complex health needs and after developing cerebral palsy she does regress sometimes, but always bounces back.

River needs ongoing physiotherapy sessions, as regularly as possible, to enable her to grow stronger and develop physically. She has learnt to roll and is working on making this a regular movement, she needs to develop her physical core to enable her to learn and develop the movements she needs to enable her to have a better life, including sitting up and working towards crawling and walking.

At this stage in her life, no one is able to say what effect the brain damage has had, and how this will have an impact on her development, but I know she will achieve with all the love and support she has around her and with her own determination and motivation to live her best life.

I would be so grateful if you can donate towards helping me give River ongoing physiotherapy sessions. Every medical professional who has been involved in River’s life, has agreed that physio is essential for her to develop her gross motor skills, to enable her to work towards meeting her physical mile stones of sitting, crawling and walking.

My financial situation has become difficult to manage since River’s unexpected early arrival and the ongoing costs of physio. I’m managing alone as sadly River’s Dad died aged 32 of a heart attack on the day I found out I was pregnant, he never got to hear the wonderful news that he was to become a Father. To date all hospital costs and flights have been paid by myself and my parents.

Due to River’s ongoing complex health needs, physical needs and continual appointments, I am unable to work at this stage in her life, so financially it’s difficult. I cared for River on my own until March this year, until it became too much and I needed the daily support of my parents for both of us to live our best lives at this time. So on the 24th March I moved in with my parents to help with the financial pressures and also receive daily support with River from my family.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to read River’s life journey and all donations received will be used towards paying for River's physiotherapy sessions and a better future. Individual physiotherapy sessions cost £90 each and regular intensive early intervention courses cost approximately £800 and are needed every two months, alongside this I plan to support her through any other therapies that will benefit her development and any specialised equipment she needs which isn’t provided to her on the NHS.

Thank you.

Your support matters:

To give River the best chance of a better future, we are hoping to initially raise funds to cover a few intensive early intervention courses and the individual physiotherapy sessions which are so crucial to her physical development.

Together we can make a difference, any donations however large or small will help to benefit River and her family. We are so grateful for everyone who helps by donating.

Thank you!