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<p><strong>Forget ash clouds, forget Eurostar - I am going to Paris by bike!</strong></p>
<p>As you will recall last year I completed the 800km journey from Biarritz to Santiago de Compostela in 8 days raising over £3.5k.</p>
<p>Encouraged by all your support and generosity I have decided to undertake another cycling fundraiser this year and will be cycling from London to Paris on the 11th of June.</p>
<p><strong>Why on earth am I doing this?</strong></p>
<p>As you know, my son Oscar was born prematurely, weighing 870 grams (1.9lb), and spent over 2 months at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Whittington Hospital. Thanks to the wonderful care and attention he has received, he is now more than a year old, weighs 8.6kg (19lb) and is doing very well.</p>
<p>Caring for premature babies is extremely expensive, and while the NHS is supportive, the NICU at the Whittington Hospital could not function without funds from community to keep on saving lives of babies like Oscar. Here is my way of saying "thanks!" - 500 km in 5 days on a bicycle!!!</p>
<p>If you would like to donate to this great cause, please use this link:</p>
<p><a href="../OscarGabrielDaniel">http://www.justgiving.com/OscarGabrielDaniel</a></p>
<p>BIG thank you from Oscar, the hospital, and myself!</p>
<p>David</p>
<p><strong>Where does our money go?</strong></p>
<p>Our sponsorship last year enabled the ward to stay up-to-the-minute with the most effective medical care equipment available; it has been put towards purchasing patient portable monitors which are vital items of equipment. These Fukuda Denshi portable monitors fit onto life saving machines such as the transport incubator and the cardiovascular respiratory machine meaning that bloods, breathing etc. can be monitored, on the move. Three were purchased and are now on the ward, being used intensively.</p>
<div>This year's money will be used for a non-invasive ventilation machine called 'Vapotherm' which provides an oxygen flow to tiny premature babies without having to intubate them.</div>
<div>PLEASE NOTE: all donations go straight to NICU at the Whittington as I am funding the trip myself</div>