Garstang family members raise £1,800 to honour medics who saved their niece’s life

Garstang careers adviser Rachel Ireland found the perfect job for her brother-in-law Carlo Matichecchia as they ran the Liverpool Half Marathon and sought to raise £1,800 for Baby Beat.

Rachel, who works at Lancaster University, and Carlo, who is an electrician for local company Collinson’s, ran together to cross the line in their two hour target time.

The duo chose to run for Baby Beat to give back for the support given to Rachel’s sister Kathryn and her partner Adam Briggs, whose daughter, Mia, now a healthy and happy six-year-old, arrived prematurely at 29 weeks weighing just over 3lbs.

Rachel said: “Mia spent thee long months in the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Preston Hospital after she was born. She was cared for by its wonderful doctors and nurses and without this care, she wouldn’t be with us today. We wanted to raise some money to say thank you for everything they did.”

Mia travelled to Liverpool from her Garstang home to cheer Rachel and Carlo to the finish. With Mia were her parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins Aria, Eva, Oscar and Ella.

Rachel, who along with other family members has previously taken part in Baby Beat’s annual Cross Bay Walk over the sands of Morecambe Bay to raise funds for the charity, added: “We chose an event on 23^rd March as it is an extra special day for us as family as it marks Charlie’s birthday. Before Mia was born, Kathryn and Adam sadly lost their beautiful baby boy Charlie at 22 weeks. [The 23rd) was his eighth birthday so we also ran in his memory. We are very grateful to everyone who turned out to support us and everyone who sponsored us.”

Baby Beat fundraiser Lucy Clark said: “It means a tremendous amount to the staff, who look after our earliest arrivals, when families show their support, especially when it comes like this with an update on how their former tiny patient is doing. They will be thrilled to see Mia now as the beautiful, thriving little girl she has become.”

Baby Beat funds specialist equipment, patient services and comforts, clinical care, local research, additional training and staff welfare projects so that the maternity and gynaecology teams can offer the best possible outcomes for babies and mums in the Central Lancashire and Chorley area.

You can still donate to Rachel and Carlo’s tally by visiting their JustGiving page.

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