50 Marathons in 50 Days

Sylvie was the long-awaited miracle her parents, Zoe and Gray, had hoped for. Over 4.5 years they battled infertility and cancer treatments before finally receiving the news they had been waiting for: their IVF journey had been successful, and they were pregnant at last. However, their elation turned to heartbreak and fear when Zoe’s waters broke on Valentine’s Day of 2023, at just 21 weeks gestation – too early for little Sylvie to be resuscitated if she was delivered then.

Fortunately, Sylvie was able to hang tight for another two weeks. But when mother and baby developed sepsis, it was time to make the call. Sylvie was delivered via emergency caesarean, weighing in at a tiny 628 grams. Both mum and bub needed blood transfusions; Zoe was rushed to critical care, while Sylvie was taken to the NICU, where she would spend the first 134 days of her life.

A big support for the family during this incredibly tough time was Zoe’s brother, Tom Price. Initially he says he felt ‘helpless, emotional and scared’ as he watched his sister and her family bravely face each unpredictable day in the NICU. But he decided to channel those feelings into positive action: as a dedicated and passionate runner, he came up with the idea of pushing himself, physically and mentally, in an awe-inspiring bid to raise funds for the hospital that saved his sister and niece.

The Royal Women’s Hospital NICU cares for more than 1500 premature and seriously ill newborn babies. An integral part of the care they provide is the availability of ‘kangaroo’ chairs. The specially designed recliners allow parents to share precious skin-to-skin time with their babies. Named for the way the way newborn joeys will crawl into the safety and comfort of their mothers’ pouches to continue their development, kangaroo care has been recognised as an important way to help premature and unwell babies to regulate their heart rate and breathing, boost weight gain, and improve survival rates for vulnerable newborns.

Currently there are fewer than a dozen kangaroo chairs available in the NICU, with each new chair costing over $2700. Tom is aiming to raise at least $50,000 to support the purchase of more chairs for the wing, which cares for as many as 60 babies at a time. Any additional funds raised will go toward life-saving equipment and research to continue improving neonatal care.

Beginning on December 9th, Tom will run 42.2 km a day for 50 days. This will total 2110 km, undertaken during the heat of summer, and equivalent to running halfway across Australia.