As my friends and family are well aware the loss of my son Freddie at such a young age and to such a common virus was devastating to me and my family. Only when you lose someone so precious and innocent do you realise the fragility of life and how precious a gift it is to every one of us. Every child deserves the basic right to grow up but sadly too many babies and children are denied this right. 

In Yemen 51 out of 1000 children die before their 5th birthday. This statistic is terrible. In the last year more than 10,000 children have died in Yemen to preventable illnesses and malnutrition. 

My friends and family have helped me raise well in excess of £4,000 for Alder hey the hospital in Liverpool that treated Freddie. Sadly despite numerous anti viral drugs, antibiotics and the use of several life support machines Freddie simply could not survive and lost his life to encephalitis at 11 days of age on New Year's Day 2015. 

In Yemen, every single day babies and children are dying needlessly not because of rare circumstances like Freddie's but because simple antibiotics and basic foods such as baby formula milk powder are not available. Many babies and children are so malnourished they are prone to illness and disease and they are dying from common viruses and infections because of poverty and starvation. 

I cannot put into words how this needless loss of innocent lives makes me feel, it angers me, it upsets me but most of all it draws back the feeling of despair and helplessness I felt when Freddie was dying. To think that the suffering I have gone through despite all the options available to my son in the U.K is happening to families in Yemen simply because of poverty and lack of food and medicine. The thought of not having any formula milk to feed your starving baby, being so malnourished yourself you are unable to breastfeed. This situation is heartbreaking, it's hard to even imagine that this is occurring in the 21st century but it is. 

I have decided to do what I can to help babies and children in Yemen in Freddie's memory. I'm going to challenge myself to a 5 mile run in November pushing myself in aid of others. I'm already going to New York at this time so I've signed up to run in a race in Prospect Park Brooklyn, New York on Thanksgiving on  24th November it's called 'the turkey trot'. Freddie's daddy (my lovely husband) Pete is also taking part. 

I am also going to donate a percentage of my salary every month to my cause for as long as I can. As some of you know I have found my journey back to fitness extremely difficult after 3 pregnancies in less than 5 years and this challenge is going to be very tough for me, I'm older, I'm heavier and my fitness is nothing in comparison to the 23 year old sarah of 2006 who regularly ran 5 miles along the canal banks before breakfast and a full day at work. But I'm going to give it my best and do what I can for others. 

I have already asked so much of my friends and family who were so generous in donating to Alder Hey, all I ask now is that if you want to donate to charity please do it in Freddie's memory and help the babies and children of Yemen have a chance to grow up. 

Thank you for your time and support. 

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