Mum’s 1,000 km run raising money in celebration of safe arrival of her ‘rainbow baby’
A mum of four is about to complete an epic 1,000 km run, raising money for the fetal medicine unit at Southend Hospital.
Davina Mackenzie, 39 and from Leigh-on-Sea, is raising money for the unit after they supported her through her pregnancy with her rainbow baby – which is a baby born after baby loss.
Davina’s daughter, Seraphina, was stillborn in 2016 and she suffered three further miscarriages. Davina found pregnancy a frightening time after suffering such loss, but thanks to the team at Southend Hospital she gave birth to her son, Blake, in 2018.
She said: “The incredible team were able to guide me through those tough months with so much care and understanding. I was offered so many reassurance scans and checks to help me through. I was never turned away on any of my frequent wobbles.
“I can never thank them enough for what they did for me. I'd love them to be able to continue to offer this to other families navigating pregnancy after loss.”
Davina has been running the 1,000 kilometres over the last year, and has just 20 km left to reach her goal. She will be completing her running mission this Sunday, 25 July, along Southend Seafront and will be flanked by friends during the final stretch.
It’s all a far cry from when Davina first began running a year ago during lockdown, starting off with the Couch to 5K programme.
Davina said: “The challenge has been very emotional. I’ve smiled my way through the distance, but at times with a lump in my throat, as I think of what I’ve achieved both personally and through the fundraising. I hope that the money raised from my running will make a difference to others experiencing their own pregnancy challenges.”
Mandeep Singh, medical director and consultant in fetal medicine at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, was one of those who helped care for Davina. He said: “We can’t thank Davina enough for her inspirational fundraising efforts. We’ll use this money to help and support other mothers who have unfortunately experienced similar losses. It will allow us to continue to support parents and provide reassurance, making a positive difference at a hugely difficult time.”
You can support Davina on the final leg of her run here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/davina-mackenzie1