Dad’s done Delilah proud with £28k raised in ultramarathon challenge
A grateful dad who put his body and mind to the ultimate test to complete six ultramarathons in just six days, has raised over £28,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, as thanks for saving his daughter’s life when she was just five-days-old.
Tom Penzer Adams, a fitness instructor from Lichfield, ran the 220 mile distance to give back for the care his daughter, Delilah, received, after she was born with a life-threatening condition called intestinal malrotation with volvulus - a twisted intestine.
When Tom’s wife, Grace, was pregnant with Delilah, her 34-week growth scan showed that Delilah had an enlarged bowel but when she was born, doctors at their local hospital reassured the first-time parents that everything was fine, as Delilah had managed to pass stool by herself.
However, over the next few days, Delilah began vomiting bright yellow. Panicked and with their instincts telling them something wasn’t right, Tom and Grace took Delilah to their local community hospital where a midwife agreed she should be transferred back to the bigger hospital, where she was born.
When they arrived doctors performed a scan, which showed Delilah’s intestines were twisted, causing an obstruction that meant milk was unable to pass from her stomach into her gut. From that moment, everything felt like a blur to Tom and Grace. Delilah was rushed to Birmingham Children’s Hospital with blue lights and sirens blaring, and when she arrived she was admitted straight away to the High Dependency Unit. Doctors confirmed Delilah’s diagnosis and within a few hours, Delilah was being wheeled to theatre for a life-saving operation, in which Consultant Paediatric Surgeon, Mr Max Pachl, carefully untwisted and relocated Delilah’s tiny intestines.
After a three-week stay on the hospital’s Neonatal Surgical Ward, Tom and Grace were able to take their baby girl home but Delilah’s recovery wasn’t straight forward and a few weeks later, she was admitted again with a bowel obstruction. Thankfully, after just one more week in hospital, Delilah returned home and with continued support from the team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, began to thrive.
After Delilah’s scary ordeal, Tom decided he wanted to thank the hospital’s Neonatal Surgical Ward and its staff for the incredible care she received but it needed to be something huge.
To make it personal, Tom planned his challenge so that the start and end points of each ultramarathon spelled Delilah’s name. With the hope of being able to raise £6,000 for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, Tom ran from Dover to Eastling, then Longfield to Islington, followed by Luton to Abthorpe and ended his mammoth challenge in Birmingham at the Children's with ‘H’ for hospital.
Tom said: “Words aren’t enough to convey just how grateful we are to Birmingham Children’s Hospital, especially the team on the Neonatal Surgical Ward, who saved our baby girl’s life, and Delilah’s strength and resilience has inspired me to push my own limits.”
“It was the most physically and mentally challenging thing I’ve ever done and on the last day I tore a muscle in my leg but I just thought about Delilah’s pain and the other kids in the hospital and it just wasn’t comparable. That gave me enough strength to finish the last nine-hour stint to reach Birmingham Children’s Hospital. I’m over the moon with the amount I managed to raise for the ward so would just like to thank everyone who gave so generously.”
Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “Tom's dedication and endurance throughout his ultimate challenge in honour of little Delilah have been nothing short of inspiring. We’re blown away and so grateful for the astounding figure Tom has managed to raise, which will support countless patients and families facing similar experiences to theirs."
If you’ve been inspired and would like to fundraise for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, or donate, please visit bch.org.uk or call 0121 333 8506.
