A grateful dad has crossed the finish line after completing a half marathon race and raising over £1,020 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, after doctors saved his twin baby boys’ lives.

Liam Morris, from Dudley, took on the Great Birmingham Run as double thanks to Birmingham Children’s Hospital where his twin sons, Jenson and Grayson, spent most of the first year of their lives after being born prematurely at their local hospital at just 24 weeks and six days.

Mum, Lindsey, was rushed into theatre for an emergency C-section and just moments after Jenson and Grayson were born, they were whisked away to the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Weighing in at just 1lb 11oz and 1lb 9oz - less than bags of sugar - both babies unfortunately had Necrotising Entero-Colitis (NEC), a common condition in premature babies, which meant parts of their bowel tissue were inflamed.

At just one-day-old, Jenson was blue-lighted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital by critical care ambulance, where surgeons removed the affected stretches of his intestines and made repairs. Four days later, Grayson was transferred to join his brother, receiving the same life-saving operation.

Thankfully the operations were successful but being so premature meant Jenson and Grayson had a long road ahead of them. Grayson required further operations including one to create a stoma to allow his bowel to heal and multiple reversal surgeries. After five long months, he was finally allowed to go home for the first time.

Sadly, Jenson wasn’t well enough to join his twin brother at home just yet. Between more surgeries to fix his bowel, an operation to fix a small hole in his heart and battling infections and viruses that his body was too tiny to fight, Jenson remained on the hospital’s High Dependency Unit.

After spending almost an entire year in the hospital with his babies, Liam decided it was time to do something and give back for the incredible care and compassion he had witnessed from the hospital’s staff. Ready for a challenge, Liam signed himself up to take on the Great Birmingham Run.

Liam said: “I’d never run 13 miles before, but I made it in one hour and 57 minutes. It was absolutely gruelling but I know it’s nothing compared to what the twins have been through. Throughout the whole time, they’ve been in the very best hands, and so have me and Lindsey. From Pippa the nurse who explained everything to us so clearly, to Joanne the housekeeper who consoled me when I was scared for my boys, and of course the surgeons, the hospital staff are all angels.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to say that after a total of 348 days in hospital, Jenson has this week been discharged and is reunited with his brother and mine and Lindsey’s other children at home.”

 

Miranda Williams, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Liam and his family have been on an unimaginable journey, but Jenson and Grayson are real fighters, so it’s hardly surprising that Liam felt inspired by them to fundraise!

“We’re so pleased Jenson and Grayson are finally home together and the incredible funds their super-dad raised will go towards helping more sick kids, just like them.”