Judy founded Baby Lifeline in 1981 after losing her first three babies, all born prematurely. At the time, Judy was a state registered nurse, working in an accident and emergency intensive therapy unit (ITU), cardio thoracic ITU, and neurosurgery ITU.

As a sanity plan, Judy started Baby Lifeline and started to work with and for frontline maternity healthcare professionals to provide technology to maternity and neonatal units both in hospitals and in the community, as well as evidence-based multi-professional training and associated research for thousands of health care professionals. Having begun locally, the charity has grown to meet demand for its support, and it has become a national organisation with an important and unique role.

To date, Baby Lifeline has raised millions of pounds to provide maternity safety equipment, and to supply training to those working in the maternity sector. Training is always up-to-the-minute and based on national findings and recommendations to improve mortality and morbidity in maternity services.

Judy has been the driving force behind the development and delivery of evidence based continuing professional development training to tens of thousands of front line multi professional health professionals across the UK, and beyond. She founded Baby Lifeline Training Ltd in 2008 – a thriving not for profit social enterprise, working via a service level agreement with Baby Lifeline the charity, to provide the training services.

Baby Lifeline is now internationally recognised for the training it provides, with professionals in countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Ghana, Iceland, Malta, and the United States, having completed its courses. One of the proudest moments of Judy’s career was providing training for nearly 300 Iraqi and Kuwaiti clinicians in Kuwait during a politically turbulent time in 2005.

Judy has received widespread recognition for her work in maternity safety over four decades. In 1994, she was awarded an Honorary Master’s Degree from University of Coventry, for her work supporting women’s and children’s health.

She was awarded a national Pride of Britain Award as ‘Fundraiser of the Year’ in 2010, was named in The Independent on Sunday’s ‘Happy List’ as one of the top 100 people who make Britain a happier place in 2011; and was one of the winners of the Forum3 ‘Alternative Rich List’, which recognises individuals who enrich other people’s lives in ways money can’t.

In June 2019, Judy was honoured to receive a Distinguished Service Medal from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for her dedication and achievement in the development of women’s healthcare. In 2023, Judy was awarded an MBE in The King’s Birthday Honours List for services to Pregnant Women and Newborn Babies.

In March 2022, she spearheaded Baby Lifeline’s ongoing Ukraine Appeal, through which the charity donated many thousands of pounds-worth of vital maternity safety supplies to those caring for mothers and babies in some of the most dangerous areas of the country.