Katherine from Kings Lynn, is taking on TrekFest as part of Team Puffin and has kindly agreed to share her story with us!

Hi Katherine, it’s fantastic to hear you’re joining us for TrekFest in September! Who else is part of your team?

“Team Puffin is currently made up of 3 members, myself, my partner Ashley and a friend Dayton.”

That’s brilliant! Which charity are you supporting?

“We are fundraising for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.”

Arlen (left) and Eivin (right) on the day they were born, and at six months old.

If it wasn’t for NICU, our boys wouldn’t be the happy healthy babies they are today and so this challenge is our way of raising money as a thank you for all they did for us as a family and for so many other families.

Can you tell us a bit about why you chose to support this incredible cause?

“In March 2020 Ashley and I found out we were expecting identical (mono amniotic) twins. We were referred to a specialist in London (Queen Charlotte Hospital) and were advised that because the boys shared a placenta and sac they had a 35-40% mortality rate due to cord entanglement. They could also have been delivered from 25 weeks if complications were discovered.

We had to attend scans every other week at the local hospital and one a month in London.

I attended scans alone due to COVID-19 restrictions, but despite the odds our Puffins, Arlen and Eivin were delivered at our local hospital at 33+2 weeks.

The boys spent 21 days on the NICU. They received exemplary care from the second they were born. A week of which was in high dependency in incubators on oxygen and high flow.

The NICU team took time to explain to us what treatment the boys were having, taught us how to tube feed and provided me with expressing and breast feeding support.

If it wasn’t for NICU, our boys wouldn’t be the happy healthy babies they are today and so this challenge is our way of raising money as a thank you for all they did for us as a family and for so many other families.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Katherine, we’re so happy to hear that Arlen and Eivin are doing well! Wishing you all the best with your training and fundraising journey, we can’t wait to see you in the Beacons in September!

To read Katherine’s story, and to support her fundraising, head over to https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kate-butcher-1?utm_term=a2aXMNa4w

Are you feeling inspired? Take on your own TrekFest challenge and support a cause close to your heart this summer!