THE extraordinary tale of Oscar, the “little miracle” born 15 weeks early – just three weeks after mum found out she was pregnant – has inspired Will and Adam Robinson to tackle the Coast to Coast walk for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity.
Will, who is originally from Saltaire and now living in Hampshire, is the proud uncle of Oscar, who was born to parents James (Will’s brother) and Cheryl Robinson, last May.
Cheryl was still processing the amazing news that she was pregnant when she went into premature labour, with Oscar born at 25 weeks, weighing just a pound and a half. He was cared for by the team at Bradford’s Neonatal Unit before being discharged just before his due date, three months later.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Will and his son Adam have been unable to visit Oscar, so they decided to show their appreciation for the amazing care he received by raising money for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity’s BIG Neonatal Appeal.
Will said: “Ozzy is a little miracle! He’s with us because of the incredible team of doctors, nurses and all the support staff at the BRI’s Neonatal Unit who nurtured him and provided everything Ozzy needed for him to develop and grow. He was given the absolute best chance of life.”
Will, an operations director, works in Basildon and lives in Hampshire with his fiancée Tracey, their four children and grandson George. He said he felt compelled to raise money for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity’s neonatal fund because he was unable to offer support in any other way.
Will and Adam Robinson are tackling the coast-to-coast walk to raise funds for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity’s BIG Neonatal Fund
“Oscar was born during lockdown and I felt frustrated that I couldn’t help, so I had to find another route to show my support from a distance,” he said.
“What I can do is try and support these miracle workers, the brand new parents, the doctors, nurses and indeed all the staff who perform these amazing feats.”
Will and Adam have been training all year by walking along the beaches of Southend during the week and through the Hampshire Downs when back at home. They both say they are feeling more than ready for the iconic 192-mile walk, devised by famous fell walker Alfred Wainwright.
They will set off on 21 May – Oscar’s first birthday. It will also be the first time Oscar meets his uncle and family, as he will be waving them off!
Will added: “We’re walking Wainwright’s original route – through the fells and mountains of Cumbria, over The Dales and down to the North York Moors to raise a little bit of money to help build better and bigger facilities for parents and family so they can all be at the feet of their little miracles 24 hours a day.”
Hayley Collis, Head of Fundraising for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity, said: “We’re overjoyed to see Oscar doing so well after the care he received from our heroic doctors and nurses in the Neonatal Unit.
Raising money
“Although it’s the best place for many babies, it’s incredibly difficult to leave your baby or babies behind in the Neonatal Unit and go home. Our doctors and nurses recognise this and want to do everything they can to keep families together and close to their babies while they are under the care of our clinicians. This is why we are raising money to create more bedrooms for parents to stay close to their babies, as well as to improve the facilities for parents and siblings, so it feels like a real home-from-home.
“Thank you to Will and Adam for taking on this big challenge. Every penny raised will help future parents in the Neonatal Unit.”
Visit Will and Adam’s Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/william-robinson14. You can also follow their journey on Instagram @c2c_longdistancelove.
For more information about the BIG Neonatal Appeal, visit https://bradfordhospitalscharity.org/big-neonatal-appeal/
If you would like to support your local NHS by donating, fundraising or volunteering, contact Bradford Hospitals’ Charity on 01274 274809 or email charity@bthft.nhs.uk
Oscar Robinson was cared for by Bradford Teaching Hospital’s Neonatal Unit