Running to Give Back: Sheree's Marathon Challenge for York SCBU

In 2024, Sheree and Mat's lives changed in a matter of hours.

Sheree woke up expecting an ordinary working day. By that evening, she had given birth to their son, Guy.

Born at just 33 weeks, around two months early, Guy weighed only 4lb. Instead of taking their newborn home, Sheree and Mat faced an unexpected journey in the York Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).

Guy spent the first 16 days of his life in SCBU, where he was tube fed while he grew stronger and learned to feed independently. Every small step forward felt significant.

"Every tiny milestone felt like a huge victory," said Sheree.

For the first five days after giving birth, Sheree was able to stay in hospital with Guy. But when she was discharged, Guy was not yet ready to leave.

"Driving away from the hospital without my newborn baby was one of the most soul-destroying things I've ever had to do," she said.

From that moment on, being by Guy's side became Sheree's full-time focus. She spent every day with him in SCBU until Mat arrived after work each evening. Meanwhile, Mat balanced the challenges of becoming a new dad while saving his paternity leave for when Guy could finally come home.

"It was such a difficult time for both of us," they said. "We knew he was in the safest possible hands, but nothing prepares you for the heartbreak of saying goodnight to your newborn and going home without them."

Throughout those challenging weeks, the team at York Special Care Baby Unit made an incredibly difficult experience more bearable.

Not only did they care for Guy with exceptional skill, compassion and dedication, but they also supported Sheree and Mat through one of the most emotional periods of their lives. They answered countless questions, reassured them through moments of uncertainty, celebrated every milestone, and even sent photos overnight when the couple couldn't be there themselves.

"Their kindness is something I'll never forget," said Sheree.

Today, Guy is thriving, and Sheree and Mat remain deeply grateful for the care that gave him the best possible start in life.

That gratitude is the reason Sheree is now taking on her biggest challenge yet: running her first-ever marathon, the Altra Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday 18 October.

She is raising funds for York Special Care Baby Unit to support the incredible work of its staff and help make the unit an even more comfortable place for families facing similar experiences. She is also taking on this challenge to raise awareness of prematurity, something Sheree thinks is still pretty low.

"Having experienced first-hand how difficult it is to leave your newborn baby in hospital each night, I'd love to help fund improvements that make it easier for parents to stay close to their babies during those precious early days," Sheree said.

As she knows all too well, even simple improvements, such as more comfortable overnight facilities for parents, can make an enormous difference during an incredibly stressful time.

As Guy turns two this year, Sheree has set herself a fundraising target of £2,000. For her and Mat, reaching that milestone would be a meaningful way to thank the team who gave their little boy the very best start in life.

Every donation, big or small, will help support babies, parents and the dedicated staff who care for them during some of the most difficult moments they will ever face.