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Melbourne mother and athlete Diana Nicholls started a remarkable 24-hour treadmill challenge at Mercy Hospital for Women to raise funds for Mercy Perinatal, a specialist service dedicated to improving outcomes for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies and their babies.
The fundraising event, held on June 20 and 21, was hosted in partnership with the Mercy Health Foundation and Banyule City Council. It offered community members the opportunity to run, jog or walk alongside Diana, showing their support for a service that touches countless families across Victoria.
As part of Mercy Hospital for Women (MHW), Mercy Perinatal strives to bring every mother and baby home safely through its three core pillars – clinical care, research and education.
Lifesaving care
Ms Nicholls knows firsthand how critical this care is – her twin daughters, Adrian and Evie, were born at just 30 weeks due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in 2017. Mercy Perinatal’s expert team provided lifesaving care, inspiring Diana’s determination to give back to the service. She said complicated pregnancies and preterm deliveries can be extremely traumatic for mothers who are faced with the heartbreaking realities that come with high-risk pregnancies.
“Every mum wants to experience a safe delivery and give birth to a healthy baby, but unfortunately, this isn’t the reality for everyone,” said Ms Nicholls.
“Without Mercy Perinatal’s team of obstetricians, surgeons and neonatal intensive care nurses, my twins Adrian and Evie might not be here today. Mercy Perinatal will always hold a special place in my heart, and I want to do my bit to ensure that other families facing premature birth or pregnancy complications have access to the same support that ensured I could go home with my children.”
This year’s challenge has built on Diana’s ongoing commitment to supporting maternal health. In 2023, Diana ran seven marathons in seven days with the same goal of supporting Mercy Perinatal.
Rebecca MacFarling, Mercy Health Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer, said that Diana’s fundraising drive has an immense impact on Mercy Perinatal’s ability to deliver lifesaving care to mothers and babies across Victoria.
“No parent should experience the heartbreak of losing a baby, yet in Australia one in 130 pregnancies ends in stillbirth, and eight per cent of babies are born too soon. Mercy Perinatal is working to change these numbers,” said Ms MacFarling.
“For many families, access to this level of care is the difference between life and loss. Through this event, the community has played an important role in enhancing the team’s care and research practices, ultimately ensuring more mothers can go home safely with their babies.”
Together, the Mercy Health Foundation, Banyule City Council and Diana raised over $32,000 for Mercy Perinatal, exceeding the funding raising goal of $30,000.
The challenge brought meaningful attention to the critical work of Mercy Perinatal and highlighted the ongoing need to support families navigating complex and high-risk pregnancies.
