#whenIgrowup Baby and Toddler Event at ASDA

From 27th August to 16th September 2012, ASDA are holding their Baby and Toddler Event across the UK. During the event leading brands such as Huggies, Pampers and Cow & Gate are giving a donation to Tommy’s, to help ASDA raise £100,000 for the charity, and to help fund its vital work to give every baby the best start in life. 

When I was growing up I dreamed of being a number of different things:

A Gardener

As a child I would sit in our back garden for hours. My sketch pad lay on my lap, the cold grass under my feet and a pencil in my hand. I would draw all the plants I could see and write down what I liked about them. Green, pretty, leafy, just a few of the things I wrote down! I soon realised however, that being a gardener involved insects, mud and working in the rain so I soon changed my mind! 

A Vet

Working inside, no insects and no mud! I love animals, in fact my parents bought my sister and I a duck each when we were little! Random and weird, I know but it was great! Of course, over the years we broadened our horizons to more conventional pets! We had hamsters, Snowy and Dilly, a rabbit called Bramble and over the years a few cats. I used to love watching Rolf Harris’ Animal Hospital on TV and pretending I was helping to make an animal better!

A Police Officer

This career choice I actually followed up on a bit! I went to college and gained a National Diploma in Public Services, did some police riot training and even filled in an application form to join the military police and local police force. I never actually sent the forms off though!

Reality

8 years on I have an office job and sit in front of a computer all day!

Thinking about all the different things I wanted to be when I grow up, makes me wonder what our twin girls will want to be when they grow up. At the moment I can imagine ‘M’ doing something that involves her being very vocal! She loves nothing more than to lay on the play mat squawking and chatting very loudly! ‘R’ on the other hand is a bit more laid back. Something along the lines of a yoga teacher or meditation instructor comes to mind! 


Twin Daddy and I were lucky because after 27 days in special care, we were able to bring our beautiful twin girls home. Unfortunately, not every parent has the chance to see their child grow up and fulfill their dreams, which is why Tommy’s work is so important.

• Funding of Tommy’s freephone PregnancyLine – a freephone phone line, staffed by midwives, that anyone can ring for support or advice following a pregnancy complication or loss. The line is open Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, and our midwives can be called on: 0800 0147 800.
• The charity’s new ‘Having a Premature Baby’ guide – an essential book for anyone who has had, or is at risk of, having a premature baby.
• By supporting the Asda Baby & Toddler event this August, the public can help Tommy’s continue their vital research to ensure that more babies are born healthy, and offer the continued support that families so desperately need after the loss of a baby.