A Cochrane mom known for her support for Calgary's Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) is once again looking for donations for the 41st annual 2018 Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run, Walk & Ride. While Valentina Fenton said she has no specific goal for donations, she is hoping to collect as many bottles and cans, with 50 percent of the proceeds going towards Calgary's NICUs, the other half going towards Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program. After her son was born in August 2013, he spent 22 days in the Foothills NICU due to a hypoxic brain injury, despite having a 'normal' pregnancy. Fenton said she noticed the Calgary Foothills NICU would regularly run out of things as simple as soothers. After her positive experience at the facility, she hopes she can give back in anyway she can to help. "I know as a mom whose little guy spent time in the NICU .. .I know every little donation helps whether it's a dollar or more," Fenton said. "It's also an opportunity to not only give back, but to appreciate the help and fundraising that went on prior to my son's stay at the NICU." "We've done a small amount of fundraisers with the help of the community," Fenton said. "It's encouraging, it's so encouraging when something is close to your heart and other people recognize it." The Mother's Day Run will take place this Sunday at Chinook Centre in Calgary. Fenton's family is also in the midst of creating a separte fundraiser (raffle) for the Foothills Medical Centre (FMC) NICU, which is expanding from 39 beds to 61 in the next few years. FMC takes all of the critical babies born South of Edmonton. If you have bottles or cans you'd like to donate to Valentina Fenton, she can be reached at (403) 852-6685 via text or call. — With files from Lindsay Seewalt
