An Exeter woman has raised more than one thousand pounds for thebestof Exeter member for Sparks Children's Research Charity so far by running the Eden Marathon in memory of a tiny baby who died after suffering brain damage during his birth.
Baby Charley Corden suffered oxygen deprivation during his birth and died shortly afterwards. Family friend Erin Christian wanted to pay her tribute to Charley and his brave parents Emily and Mark Corden as well as raise much needed funds for Sparks.
Sparks is currently engaged in research into baby ‘cooling’ to prevent brain damage in infants who suffer oxygen deprivation at birth. Every year two in every thousand babies born in the UK will suffer brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. This can lead to devastating conditions such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and in extreme cases such as Charleys, the babies simply don’t survive.
Erin said: “Charley is with me on every run I have done since he died and will be forever, because he never had the chance to run and play, to breathe the freshest air on Dartmoor, to feel the spray of the sea on his face. He reminds me to try and live my life to the full, every day.
“I enjoyed the marathon and the time I recorded is 4 hours 45 minutes and 53 seconds. I am delighted with this time as its 25 minutes faster than last year!”
If you would like to support Erin, please do so by clicking on the link below which will take you to Erin’s justgiving page.
http://www.justgiving.com/Erin-Christian.
So far Erin has raised £1150.20 but hopes to raise much, much more.
