Dad to cycle 300 miles for Good Hope Special Care Baby Unit
New dad Connor Keenan has pledged to complete an epic challenge to fundraise for Good Hope Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit.
He plans to cycle an incredible 300 miles throughout the month of September to raise money to thank staff at Good Hope who cared for his baby, Luke, after he was born two months premature. Connor is a Corporal Survival Equipment Technician at RAF Henlow and hopes to reach his target by cycling around the base before and after work. Baby Luke had to spend three weeks on the Unit however we are very pleased to report Luke is now seven months old, happy and healthy!
Speaking of why he chose to fundraise for the Good Hope Special Care Baby Unit, Connor said: “The staff on the ward were truly amazing. We were overwhelmed by the support we received every single day. I had one-to-one nappy changing lessons, having never changed a nappy in my life! We also had an amazing amount support from the Breast Feeding Specialist Team and had basic life saving lessons for infants. As first time parents, with a premature baby, this was a massive comfort for us.”
Laura Power, Fundraising Manager at Good Hope Hospital Charity, said: "We are thrilled Connor has chosen to fundraise for us so we can continue to support our smallest patients and their families in their time of need. We can’t wait to see how he gets on and wish him the very best of luck with his challenge!”
To donate to Connor’s fund, please visit his Justgiving page here.
Each year Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital care for thousands of babies some of whom are born up to four months early and weigh as little one pound. An average of one in ten newborn babies need the support of the neonatal units across Good Hope and Heartlands. The Neonatal Units provide 24 hour care using dedicated breathing machines, incubators and state of the art monitoring machines.
The hospital charity aims to support the units in providing the most advanced medical equipment, over and above NHS Funding.
If you would like to find out more about how Good Hope Hospital supports newborn babies, and what you can do to help, please visit https://www.hospitalcharity.org/newbornsinneed
