28th March 2019

Four amazing Twins Trust supporters are putting their best feet forward for our charity on Sunday April 28 when they run the Virgin London Marathon.

Twin dads Leigh Sitch and Georgios Antikatzidis both chose to support Tamba because of the support they’d received from us.

Sarah Rose sadly had a very complicated twin pregnancy with TTTS and TAPS, almost losing her twin boys. She wants more research into these conditions which Twins Trust helps fund.

The fourth runner is Sharon Darke, who works for us one day a week and is running to raise funds for our Bereavement Support Group (BSG).

We’re extremely grateful to these four runners who are all raising money to fund different aspects of Twins Trust’s work.

Teacher Leigh from Harleston, Norfolk and his wife Katrina went through a fairly uncomplicated pregnancy with their twin boys Archie and Oscar.

Leigh, who got the Twins Trust ballot place and has pledged to raise £2,500, said: “Luckily for us we were blessed with two beautiful boys born at 36 weeks.

“We still had to spend seven days in hospital and the neonatal unit due to both boys not putting weight on and the support we received from Tamba at this time was invaluable as we were worried by this. We accessed information about how to manage a hospital stay when your twins are spending time in NICU.

“We’d also read up on the Tamba website about what to expect when we returned home, different feeding methods, sleep, having them sleep in the same cot, the list is endless.  

“Having continued to receive Multiple Matters, we have read many stories of parents and families who have not been so lucky.

“Without Twins Trust the important research that has supported us would not be available. I know fundraising is imperative to the ongoing research and support that Tamba offer.”

Leigh said the marathon will be a huge challenge as two summers ago he would not have been able to complete a 5km race! He did his first 19 miles this week.

Georgios’ story is similar. He got a place in the London Marathon ballot – which came as a surprise – and wanted to make sure good came of this.

“My twins Sophia and Leo are my inspiration and I want to show them that if you work hard you can achieve anything. When I was 18 doctors thought I would always walk with a limp following a motorcycle accident – now, and without a limp, I am running a marathon!”

Sarah’s pregnancy was incredibly tough, and she knows that thanks to research she is lucky to have her boys Lucas and Isaac.

And Sharon will be running for the BSG which was set up in 1982 in response to requests from parents who had lost a twin.

Every mile Sharon runs is in memory of a baby taken from the world too soon. Sharon, who lost her own twin boys Charlie and Joshua 20 years ago when they were just a few weeks old, has sewn 26 lilac ribbons onto her running vest each of which contains a babies’ name or names.