This year our chosen company charity is the Neonatal unit in Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley.

A little more about our story...

Elijah Joseph Cottingham was born 15 weeks early late in December 2007, he weighed 880g or 1lb 15oz. He was a scrap of life, but he was our boy and to this date remains our absolute hero. That day was the start of a very long journey, one that we had no idea of where the final destination would take us. We knew nothing about premature babies, of their chances or the steps that needed to be taken to get them home.

Elijah (or as he is now effectionately known, Dibble) was a fighter. He overcame so many obstacles in those first weeks of life, infections, holes in his heart, jaundice, reflux, numerous blood transfusions and two bleeds on the brain. His tiny size was only one factor that the medical team had to contend with, but their hard work and care is something that we will be forever endebted to.

In those early moments, a few days before Christmas we were lost. It was a time of year that should be so filled with joy, especially with a new baby, but our emotions were a mixture of happiness, fear and sorrow. It remains a tough time for us, now almost twelve years on. The lights, the songs, the weather, all take us back to those dark days of late December 2007.

So with all this in mind, we have chosen the Russells Hall Hospital Neonatal Unit as our very first Eighty3 Design Ltd Charity of the Year. Our first target is to raise enough money to provide each of the 18 cots/incubators on the unit over Christmas with a gift. Just something to open, on their child's very first Christmas morning, that lets them know that there are people out there thinking about them and sending them all the positive thoughts in the world. With this in mind we will create (we are a design company) a Christmas card with the name of every person who donates to accompany the gift.

Thanks for reading guys. :)

- Rebecca Cottingham, Eighty3 Development Manager... and more importantly, Elijah's Mom.

#teamdibble