Hospice team to run half marathon to fund £200K bed

A care team from a children's hospice hope to raise £200,000 by running a half marathon dressed as beds.

Four runners from Helen and Douglas House in Oxford will take on the Oxford Half, aiming to raise enough money to pay for a hospice bed for a year.

The specially made costumes, decorated by patients, come complete with pillows, duvets, nightcaps and teddy bears.

Medical Director, Dr Emily Harrop, is one of those taking part and said she hoped to spread joy along the course.

She will be running alongside nurses Thevuni Raju, Jill Ball and Alison Lay.

Harrop, an experienced runner added: "People might smile when they see us running 13.1 miles dressed as a bed, but there is a very serious reason behind it.

"Every bed at Helen and Douglas House represents expert one-to-one medical care for a seriously ill child and precious time for parents to simply be mum and dad again."

Over the course of a year, one bed in the hospice could host up to 104 stays for children, providing more than 300 nights of care for families facing some of the most challenging circumstances.

Al and Caroline McNicoll's youngest daughter Flo has been coming to the hospice since 2019.

"We almost wonder how did we do life without the occasional Helen and Douglas House stay?" said Al.

He said it can be physically demanding caring for a child with a disability and said the "breaks" the hospice provides allows them to continue "living in a way that would not be the case if the funding was not there".