5 July 2021
Scaffolders turn swimmers to support neonatal babies
Alan Skilton, Managing Director of Skill Scaffolding Limited has partnered with Southampton Hospitals Charity to support the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Princess Anne Hospital:
“Both the youngest of my four children needed care in the Southampton neonatal unit, so it holds a special place in my heart. At a time of stress and worry, the staff made the experience as easy as it could be.
My daughter Isabella, now five, was in the neonatal unit for a week after complications during birth. I’ve never seen a baby delivered blue, and she struggled to breathe for what seemed like an eternity.
My wife Katie and I were so worried, but the staff kept us informed of everything that was going on, and thankfully she made a full recovery.
Fast forward 15 months, and Maximus was born eight weeks premature at Poole Hospital. Katie had been admitted 10 days prior for observations, before being given a caesarean section.
Not long after, they were both transferred back to Southampton hospital, to the neonatal unit.
The next three weeks were pretty traumatic as Max was just so small. He needed ultraviolet lights over his cot for 10 days to help with his skin and had feeding tubes and other medication to aid his chance of survival.
The unit staff are so professional but also family orientated.
It is like they are an extended part of the family while you are there, which was really comforting when I had to leave the hospital to look after the other children.
I have wanted to say thank you for a while, and now seems right. Three of my colleagues are doing an open water swim with me from Bournemouth to Boscombe as part of the Pier to Pier challenge on 7 July. This covers a distance of 1.4miles.
None of us are swimmers, so it will be a real challenge for us, but thankfully we have a support crew on the water, and a cheer squad along the way!”
Support our neonatal intensive care unit and Skills Scaffolding today: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/skillyspage