A mum from Colchester has completed her epic running challenge in support of The Sick Children’s Trust after the charity provided vital
support during her baby daughter’s emergency surgery.
Rachel Wynne-Golledge took on the charity’s Long Run Home, a 100-mile challenge in June to raise £1,050 to support The Sick Children’s Trust. The charity supported her with a place to stay at their Acorn House ‘Home from Home’ when her four day-old-daughter, Rosie, underwent emergency surgery to untwist her bowels.
Diagnosis and treatment
Rosie was born with a birth defect called malrotation and needed a specialist Ladd’s procedure at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The surgery involved untwisting her bowel, separating her large and small intestines, widening the base of her large intestine and removing her appendix.
She spent a week recovering on the intensive care unit and a further three days on the ward before returning home. Throughout Rosie’s time in Cambridge, Rachel and her husband, Tobias, were supported by The Sick Children’s Trust and its ‘Home from Home’, Acorn House.
With the family living in Colchester, around 90 minutes’ drive from Addenbrooke’s, Acorn House made sure Rachel was never more than a short walk from Rosie’s side. To thank the charity for its support, Rachel took on the Long Run Home to raise vital funds. Rachel said:
“It was extremely tough having my newborn baby taken away for surgery and not being able to stay with her. It was such a shock as it escalated so quickly. I was recovering from a complicated pregnancy and c-section, while having to leave Henry, our two-year-old son, with family in Colchester for long periods was also incredibly difficult.
Support from Acorn House
“Rosie came out of surgery at 4am. We were very tired and completely drained after such an emotional few days with hardly any sleep. We never had a chance to think about where we would stay while she was in hospital. To be told that we had a room to sleep in, just minutes from Rosie’s bedside, was such a relief.
“We are so grateful for everything The Sick Children’s Trust has done for us. They gave us a safe space to rest, eat, and process everything that was happening in the first few weeks of Rosie’s life. It felt like a real community, meeting other parents going through similar experiences, and the empathy and kindness from the staff was just incredible.
“Rosie had to return to Addenbrooke’s for another emergency operation on her bowel at five months old. I was able to stay with her on a ward so
didn’t need to stay at Acorn House during that visit, but it’s reassuring knowing it’s there, should we need it in the future. While Rosie has clinic visits at Addenbrooke’s, she hasn’t needed any further surgery over the last 10 months and is doing really well.
“When staying at Acorn House I saw the posters advertising the Long Run Home and thought it looked like a great challenge to take part in. I ran a couple of half marathons before having children but hadn’t run at all in around four years, so it was a great way of getting back in shape and definitely a fun challenge!”
More information about Rachel’s fundraising can be found on her Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/page/rachelwg
