After a normal pregnancy, Mark and Victoria Farnsworth had no reason to expect any problems during the birth of their baby boy, Jake. Victoria, 39 from Hemingfield in Barnsley, went into labour with Jake at 36 weeks and 6 days, but soon had to undergo an emergency C-section due to the baby being in distress.

Mark, 39, explained: “Victoria had to go under general anaesthetic for the emergency c-section as there was no time for an epidural to take effect, so I wasn’t present at Jake’s birth.

“When he was delivered, he was grey and lifeless and immediately needed assistance with his breathing. He didn’t breathe on his own for nine minutes. The doctors and midwives were also concerned about possible sepsis and his body temperature.

“The Jessop Wing staff were calm and caring throughout, offering reassurance, and explaining everything that was going on. It was a stressful situation and I was saddened by not being able to see him but I was elated when I heard he was doing OK and being well looked after. He was a healthy weight of 6lb 13oz.

“I was taken in to see Jake as soon as they knew he was stable and when my wife came round from the anaesthetic, the staff arranged for her to be wheeled round on the bed to neonatal for us to see him.

“Jake was allowed to come home three days after his birth on 12 September 2019. His blood tests were clear and his antibiotics had finished, and it was a wonderful feeling to see the canula and bandage gone from his hand. Bringing him home felt like we could finally be a family and start to enjoy him.

“Jake is one year old now and developing well – he’s full of cheekiness and a real chatterbox. He loves his books and he’s a big fan of In the Night Garden!

“I’ll be running the Sheffield Half Marathon with my sister Louise to raise funds for the Jessop Wing. We’ve been waiting for it since May 2020 so the anticipation has been building for a long time! I’m currently trying to do 1,000 miles in 2021 which is going well.

“Without the Jessop Wing’s quick intervention there is a real possibility that Jake wouldn’t be here now and we could never thank them enough for that. Running the Half Marathon is just a small thing we can do.”

You can support Mark by sponsoring him at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jake9

Sign up for a place in the Sheffield Half Marathon here.