A MUM-OF-ONE will take part in her second consecutive Cardiff half marathon when she pounds the 13.1mile distance in support of children close to her heart.

32-year-old Vicky Gee, mum of four-year-old Eva-Mai, is backing her twin god daughters, Charley and Chelsey, and friends Joanne and Steven Dawe whose baby boy Casy Jadyn Dawe died, aged two weeks old, in June 2009.

Charley and Chelsey were born in October 2009, at 27 weeks, and needed to stay in hospital for 10 weeks.

Vicky, who works at Gibbonsdown Children’s Centre, will be running for two charities - the Special Care Infant Parent Support (SCIPS) at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales and Action Medical Research for children, on Sunday, October 5.

Vicky, of Goodwick Close, Barry, said: “I will be running for two charities the Special Care Infant Parent Support (SCIPS) at the Heath hospital. Charley weighed 2lb 6 and Chelsey weighed 2lb 1. They weighed 6lb 10 and 5lb 10 when they left the hospital. Without the equipment, care and support of the nurses at the Heath hospital this may not have been possible.

“The money raised will go towards buying life saving equipment for premature babies.

“Also I will be running for Action Medical Research for children. Casy was born at 28 weeks gestation on May 28, 2009 weighing 2lb 13oz. Unfortunately Casy had necrotizing enterocolitis (Nec). Nec happens when the tissue in the small intestine or large intestine is injured or begins to die off. This causes the intestine to become inflamed or in rare cases perforated. This can make a baby very sick causing a life threatening infection. Action Medical Research will help to find out why this happens and will aim to reduce the high rate of premature birth, prevent pregnancy complications that threaten babies’ lives and find the best way to care for sick and vulnerable babies.”

Vicky added: “My training has been going really well, up until last week when I hurt my ankle. I've rested for five days and now my ankle is starting to feel fine again. I'm really looking forward to the Cardiff Half Marathon and hoping to beat my last year’s time of 2 hours 10mins 1sec. I'm hoping to raise £250 each for the charities.”

To sponsor Vicky, visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/VictoriaGee