A Basingstoke mum has taken steps to raise cash for charity in memory of her baby son who died from pneumonia.
Marie Perry, 32, from South Ham, ran a mile as part of a fundraising drive held by her brother, Noel Bresland, at the London Eye on Tuesday.
Noel set up a treadmill to enable 25 fundraisers to each run a mile of the marathon distance of 26.2 miles.
Marie completed the last mile and her four-year-old daughter, Erin, ran the final 200m.
The challenge was held to raise funds for charities Children With Leukaemia and Bliss as part of Noel’s campaign to run 223 marathons over 10 years in memory of Ethan, who died in August 2007.
When Marie gave birth to twins Ethan and Erin they were 15 weeks premature and each weighed just 1lb 10oz.
Then, sadly, Ethan died from complications.
Marie said: “I went to Basingstoke Hospital 24 weeks in to my pregnancy after a few contractions. I went in feeling it was a false alarm.
“At the time, the nurses did not tell me what was happening. I kept joking to them that I would be in again a few months later overdue. I normally hide behind humour.
“But then the nurse told me the babies were coming – it was the look on her face that I will never forget.”
The twins were transferred to a special neo-natal unit in Portsmouth and then in June 2007 Ethan was admitted to Southampton Hospital after contracting a lung infection.
Despite the doctors efforts, Ethan died from pneumonia.
Marie said: “They put him on a ventilator and in his last two weeks the doctors did everything they could. But eventually I said I have had enough – it was not fair on him. I would not let an animal suffer like that.
“On his last day, the nurses brought in a comfy chair beside his bed and they put him in my arms. It was so quick once they took him off the ventilator. He took three breaths and that was it – he’d had enough.
“Everybody was so good to us and they really fought for him. Every day was like a marathon for Ethan.”
Last year, Erin said during a visit to the London Eye that it reminded her of Ethan’s incubator.
And in memory of his nephew, Noel has pledged to run a marathon for every day of the tragic little boy’s life. To date, he has completed 29 marathons.
Marie said she was touched by her brother’s super human effort and believed it was important for her and Erin to have run the last part of the challenge.
She said: “Every day Ethan was in hospital I would go down and visit. I would be driving down the M3 thinking what I would be facing that day. Some days it was really good, but then we would take a massive step backwards.
“It was a really trying time. If I had a chance to relive that hard time again, then I would, rather have to do that than do these things in his memory.”
To support the campaign, visit www.223challenge.com
