My wife Jayne went into premature labour 3 months before her due date, and the experience was simply terrifying. I felt completely useless, and my wife was fearing the worst. Staff at Staffordshire hospital were superb, always looking positive and encouraging us to stay the same. After a number of injections, inspections and observations, my wife was permitted home about a week later with strict orders to tak eit easy.

Perhaps nowadays I take for granted the lanky 16 year old young woman who lives with us, eats us out of house and home, plays her guitar to loud and twists me around her little finger but if it wasn`t for the skill and technical knowhow of the Stafford staff, she wouldnt be here. In fact when she finally did arrive it was 2 weeks premature and delivered via emergency caesearian section - another procedure handled with great skill and care.

This, in short, is the reason why I am cycling to Paris from London in July - to raise funds for AMR, a charity who will help others arrive at a happy resolution to similiar circumstance to our own.

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