Fundraising family make second donation to baby unit

Cash raised at a family fun day will help keep newborn babies safe as they sleep.

Breathing monitors are being purchased for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Scunthorpe hospital thanks to the fundraising efforts of one family.

Emma and Lee Clay, who have three children, have donated £1,520 to the NICU following their ‘Party in the Field’ event held in Misterton on July 16.

Their son Alfie, now six months old, spent time on the unit after he was born in January.

Emma said: “We cannot thank the staff on NICU enough, they were brilliant when Alfie was here. He’s doing really well now and he’s just undergone major surgery in Leeds.”

The couple donated £700 to the unit earlier in the summer after Lee completed a charity bike ride and Lee says they’re going to continue to raise money for the unit. He said: “I’m not sure what we’ll do next but we’re hoping to make the party in the field event an annual occasion.”

The event was a sell-out with 350 people attending. Local bands including one Alfie’s grandfather plays in performed and there were activities for the children and a bouncy castle. Local companies also got involved to help with DHL donating a stage for the day.

In total the family raised £2,970 on the day with the proceeds being split between NICU and the air ambulance service.

The money will be spent on two apnoea monitors.

Sarah Judd, ward sister, said: “We are so grateful to Emma and Lee for their continued fundraising efforts.

“These monitors will be used to monitor the breathing of babies who are on oxygen and will benefit not just babies on the unit but also those who have gone home as we’ll share them with our community team.”