Bereaved father’s amazing challenge to raise funds for research into Birth Asphyxia

Chiswick resident Jon Furniss will begin a cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands End this week to raise funds for essential medical research into Birth Asphyxia.

Eva, Jon and his wife Louise’s baby daughter, died last year just seven days after she was born in Queen Charlotte’s hospital after suffering birth asphyxia.

“We want to take the energy we derive from Eva’s life and channel that into a positive benefit,” explains Jon. “One way we want to do this is to put up with a lot of hardship over a seven day period by cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise funds for research into birth asphyxia.

“Eva only lived for seven days, so it seems very apt to try to pack a lot of miles into such a short time frame since she had to pack a whole lifetime into the same period.”

Currently available treatments only help one baby in six.

“Louise and I want to help the chances of survival of other babies born in the future that arrive into the world similarly short of oxygen. Dealing with the random and senseless loss of Eva is still extremely tough, and we wouldn't wish what we have gone through on anyone.

“I'm really confident that current and future research will be successful in finding a treatment that helps more than 1 in 6, but this needs funding. With your help, I'm sure we can get there.”

“We’d like to raise as much money as possible, which will be put towards birth asphyxia research via Sparks. We have set a minimum target of £20,000, but the more that can be raised the better. Scientific research doesn’t come cheap. This amount will keep a researcher in place for a year. It takes three years to complete a PhD research project.

“Please donate as much as you can, and please be creative in considering ways in which to enhance the donation, for instance your company may well have a scheme whereby they will match any donation you make as long as the money is going to a registered charity (as Sparks is).”

April 7, 2009