Megan packs a punch for premature babies

A mum on a mission to raise money for Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity delivered a knockout performance when she participated in a boxing match to raise funds for the hospital’s neonatal unit. 

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Megan in stood with her arms in a boxing pose.

Megan Nicholson, of Maltby in Rotherham, stepped into the spotlight at Doncaster Racecourse for the white collar boxing bout against fellow rookie Kat Richardson-Green. After three gruelling two-minute rounds, Megan emerged victorious, cheered on by her partner James.

The 28-year-old has raised £1,306 to thank the NHS for caring for her twins Emmet and Clayton when they were born 11-weeks prematurely on 26 December 2022.

Megan said: “Giving birth to premature twins and stepping into a boxing ring are two of the scariest moments of my life. It’s not something I’ll be rushing to do again!

“My opponent Kat and I had trained together for eight weeks with professional boxers, attending the gym twice a week, so we felt prepared. It was an amazing night and she was such a good sport. I couldn’t have wished for a better opponent. I’m thrilled I won and have raised so much for a charity which is close to my heart.”

The babies spent nine weeks on the neonatal unit – Emmet and Clayton weighed just 3lbs each. They both needed to be intubated, Clayton was born with a hole in his heart and battled sepsis. They also needed support to eat and grow stronger.  

“The NHS saved my baby’s lives.” Megan added.

“It was the hardest time of our lives, watching our boys fight for every single breath, but we were shown so much love from staff on the neonatal unit. They were incredible at dealing with my daily melt-downs, providing our boys exceptional care and support.

“It’s such a scary and difficult time as I couldn’t bathe and feed them as other new mums could. They were three weeks old when I could finally hold them both together and it was the best day of my life. When the time was right, staff patiently showed me how to feed and changed them confidently. I can’t thank them enough.”

All the funds raised by Megan will help to fund the extra special resources, equipment and projects which the Government cannot afford for the NHS and which enhance the experience families have of neonatal and children’s care in Rotherham.

Rachael Dawes, Head of Fundraising, said: “To train and get into the ring for such a daunting challenge is no mean feat and we’re thrilled that Megan not only won, but raised so much too. All the money she raised will make a huge difference to the babies and children we care for from Rotherham and beyond. We hope she has inspired more people to tackle a daring challenge in 2025.”

For more information about how you can fundraise for Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity, call 01709 426821 or email trft.rhcc@nhs.net