A 'SUPERHERO' nanny has come out of retirement to run Reading's Half Marathon to raise money for the charity which saved her granddaughter's life.

Julie will be running the Reading Half Marathon on Sunday, April 5, for her first granddaughter and the team at Babies in Buscot Support (BIBS).

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BIBS is a charity that supports babies and their families in the special care baby unit (Buscot Ward) at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.

Julie, who is a personal trainer, explained: “I thought my racing days were over!

"But I’m dusting off my running shoes and getting back into training, all because of a very special little girl – my granddaughter, Vivi.

"I want to do something to thank the incredible team who saved her life and then went the extra mile to encourage the whole family to feel involved in Vivi’s care whilst on the ward."

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Julie has managed to recruit a team of friends and family to run with her and will be joined on the start line by her friends Claire, Kelly, Neil and Jack.

Her son, Oliver (Vivi’s dad), will also join the team - although with a 12-week old baby at home he explained it’s been tricky finding the time to train.

Vivi’s parents, Zoe and Oliver, were elated to discover they were finally expecting the baby they had desperately wished for, after a five-year journey and following IVF treatment.

Zoe’s pregnancy did not go smoothly from the outset, as she suffered from severe morning sickness from week two onwards.

She then started to feel pains and was constantly uncomfortable, visiting both the doctors and the hospital on several occasions.

Zoe’s symptoms worsened and an ambulance was called, rushing her off to hospital where it was confirmed that she had severe pre-eclampsia.

Following a course of steroids to mature the baby’s little lungs, Zoe persevered with the discomfort and swelling for six days until the hospital took the decision to deliver the baby.

Vivi arrived - 11 weeks early, weighing a tiny 2lb 4oz.

Julie remembers the first time she visited Vivi in Buscot.

She said: “It was so daunting when I first walked in and saw all the equipment and heard the buzzers and beeps going off all the time.

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"I was frightened to touch her, she seemed so fragile.

"The staff were fantastic and took the time to show us all how to hold her and care for her.

"I felt that they recognised the importance of the family as a whole, and how we all loved Vivi and wanted to support Zoe and Oliver."

Vivi spent six weeks in the care of Buscot Ward, coming home very late on Christmas Eve, following a reassuring three day stay in the BIBS-funded flats, learning to care for their tiny daughter.

Now 12 weeks old, Vivi is doing well and weighs a healthy 7lb 9oz.

Julie said: “We will always be grateful for the care Vivi received and I get emotional just thinking about it.

"It really struck me how all those tiny babies in their incubators had such a strong in-built will to survive, but of course they need all the help they can get from the facilities and expertise from the staff.

"That’s why we want to raise as much as we can to help BIBS support the work of the ward”.

To show your support, sign up today and fundraise www.readinghalfmarathon.com.

To support Julie and her team, please visit their Just Giving page here.