Runners take to streets of London to support the Stars Appeal

The Stars Appeal is set to receive a huge boost from the host of runners taking on the London Marathon on Sunday.

Of those running is Liam Thornhill, who will proudly take his place at the start line to raise money for the charity as a thank you for the care and support he and his wife received following the death of their two babies.

In 2016 the couple’s baby, Lilia, died at 16 weeks. A year later her brother, Joseph, was miscarried at 21 weeks.

Both babies were born in the hospital’s Benson Suite, a quiet, private and dignified suite of rooms dedicated to families suffering the loss of a baby, away from the main labour ward.

Liam said: “I am running the marathon to thank The Stars Appeal for all the amazing services they fund, including The Benson Suite and the Chaplaincy Service. I will always be thankful for the Benson Suite for allowing us to have that privacy, protecting our dignity and giving us time and space to grieve for our loss.

Mrs Thornhill had to stay in hospital after the birth and thanks to the home-from-home facilities the couple were able to stay together in comfort.

“There is no price you could put on those merciful comforts at a time of such heartbreak. The Stars Appeal are now trying to raise £1.5m for a second MRI Scanner and I am very proud to support such an incredible charity,” said Liam.

So far Liam has raised over £2,000. If you would like to support him please visit his Just Giving page here.

The Stars Appeal has touched the lives of so many people in Salisbury, including Alison Matthews who will also be running the 26.2 miles to raise money for the second MRI Scanner campaign.

Alison says: “The Stars Appeal funded The Benson Suite where my sister-in-law and her partner were cared for after the birth of their son, Charlie. It also funds the cancer unit, which looked after my father-in-law after his diagnosis.”

Alison’s fundraising page can be found here.

Sam Dartmouth is supporting the charity after a serious car accident in 2016 led to the amputation of three of his fingers at Salisbury hospital, and Gary Domoney will also run for the Stars Appeal.

Gary Domoney will be heading to London with a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he didn’t believe he would ever be ‘lucky’ enough to be awarded a place in the race.

He says: “Seeing as I have chosen to put myself through the pain of training and the race itself I might as well raise a bit of money for three local charities, including The Stars Appeal.”

To support Gary see his Virgin Giving page.

Andy Holme is another grateful Stars Appeal supporter, after his third son was born prematurely and spent Christmas 2016 in Salisbury’s neo-natal unit, which is funded by the charity.

Andy can be sponsored here.

Amy Poole and Ann-Marie Kinsey will also be running the marathon on Sunday.

Amy Poole is also running for The Stars Appeal but is beginning to wish she had organised a cake sale instead. She can be sponsored here.

Ann-Marie Kinsey is using her coveted place in the Marathon to help support The Stars Appeal and can be sponsored here.

The Stars Appeal is Salisbury District Hospital’s charity. Each year, projects funded by the Stars Appeal help thousands of local people at Salisbury District Hospital to get better faster, return home sooner and have a more positive hospital experience.

Projects include equipment and facilities worth £1 million, greatly enhancing the new children’s unit, two new CT scanners and free Wi-Fi for patients. The charity now hopes to raise £1.5million to buy a second MRI scanner.

A second MRI scanner at Salisbury Hospital will enable over 10,000 people each year to have their MRI scans faster and at their local hospital in Salisbury, avoiding the need to travel to other hospitals or use a mobile scanner in the hospital car park.

The very latest MRI techniques will benefit many people including cancer, stroke and heart patients and help to reduce the need for invasive procedures. So far the appeal has raised over £700,000.