For Coogee woman Sophie Smith, the loss of her three premature sons became the starting point for a charity dedicated to giving other babies a better chance of survival.
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Ms Smith founded Running for Premature Babies after she and her late husband, Ash, lost their triplet sons, Henry, Evan and Jasper, following their extremely premature births.
What began as a plan to run a half marathon and raise $20,000 for a new humidicrib has since grown into a fundraising organisation supporting neonatal care in hospitals across Australia.
A devastating loss becomes a mission
Ms Smith’s sons were cared for at the Royal Hospital for Women in Randwick, where neonatal intensive care staff worked to keep the babies alive. Henry was born at 21 weeks and lived for one hour. Jasper and Evan were born at 24 weeks and were cared for in the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Evan lived for 10 days, while Jasper survived for 58 days.
During their time in hospital, Ms Smith and her husband discovered that most of the machines keeping their sons alive had been donated. They also learned that the hospital relied on fundraising for 70 per cent of the equipment in the unit.
There was another concern before Jasper and Evan were born. When Ms Smith went into labour, Sydney was experiencing a critical shortage of NICU beds, and she was warned that her babies might need to be transferred interstate, with the possibility of being separated. The boys were born three days later, by which time two NICU beds had become available.
They wanted something positive to come from their sons’ lives and set out to help other premature babies have better chances of survival. That determination became Running for Premature Babies.
From one humidicrib to a national effort
Since its early fundraising efforts, the charity has expanded its support for neonatal care across Australia. The organisation’s 2026 campaign has raised more than $13 million for lifesaving neonatal equipment, according to the current campaign information. More than 180 pieces of neonatal equipment have been provided to hospitals around the country, including humidicribs, ventilators, resuscitation cots and specialist ambulances.
The organisation estimates its fundraising has helped save around 21,000 lives. Among those now supporting the charity is Coogee woman Piper Glover, who was born prematurely at 32 weeks at the Royal Hospital for Women. Ms Glover is also a triplet and has joined Ms Smith’s fundraising team for the Sydney Marathon.
Ms Glover has described herself as fortunate that she and her sisters avoided major complications after their premature birth. She is now using her own experience to support babies who may face greater challenges.
This year’s team includes 740 participants and has a fundraising target of $1 million. Ms Smith is also taking part in the Mini Marathon on August 29, the day before the Sydney Marathon. The date marks 20 years since Evan’s death.
For Ms Smith, the event has become a day centred on hope, with runners and walkers raising money to help hospitals provide equipment for premature babies.
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Through Running for Premature Babies, Ms Smith continues the work she and Ash began in memory of their sons, raising funds for equipment intended to give more premature babies a better chance of survival.
Published 8-August-2026
