Simon Campbell led a team of 14 from Collins Construction in this year’s London to Brighton bike ride, helping to raise nearly £5,000 in support of our paediatric service. This is the second year Simon has taken part in this event and together with his colleagues has raised approximately £10,000 in total.

Simon’s motivation for taking part followed the birth of his twins at Kingston Hospital in July 2020. As he explains:

At a routine 34-week appointment Lucy learnt the twins would need to be delivered the next day due to pre-eclampsia. During the routine procedure Lucy had an adverse reaction to the spinal block administered putting both hers and the twins lives at risk. The team at Kingston Hospital reacted so quickly to the emergency and delivered the boys within five minutes and managed to stabilise Lucy shortly after. We gratefully welcomed Theo and Rory to the world at 18:05 & 18:06 on the 22nd of July 2020.

“Fast forward eight months, following a trip to A&E with Rory with what was thought to be meningitis (Theo followed a couple of days later), doctors noticed anomalies in their blood count that required further testing. Over the course of six weeks the boys underwent numerous tests and were eventually diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Autoimmune Neutropenia. This disorder means their immune system fights their own immune system.

“From March 2021 through to August 2021 both boys were admitted for three-to-four-night stays over eight times, as their condition was so severe a cold, infection or fever could turn nasty in no time.

“The care the boys received at every visit was exemplary, always greeted with smiles, happiness and cheer. As we know the pandemic took a great toll on all our NHS key workers but you could not tell. They all seemed to take it in their stride, with the stress of the situation becoming somewhat overwhelming for Lucy and me. Each member of staff also cared for our wellbeing, whether by encouraging us to go for a walk while the boys slept or grabbing a coffee and some fresh air.

“My aim with this fundraising event has been to show my appreciation for the amazing people who work at Kingston Hospital. The doctors, nursing staff and support workers will always be remembered by my family as they not only played a massive part in the greatest moment of our lives but also helped us tackle some of the most stressful and scary events we have ever dealt with.”

Our thanks to Simon and his team of cyclists from Collins Construction for taking on the London to Brighton bike ride in 2022 and 2023, in support of our paediatric service.

If you are grateful for the care you or a loved one has received at Kingston Hospital and are interested in taking on a fundraising challenge or learning about other ways you can get involved, please call Rupert on 020 8973 5041 or email r.meredith-jones@nhs.net.