Some 17 months ago, my wife Holly gave birth to our twins Poppy and Harry. As is often the case with a twin pregnancy, they decided to join the world some 6 weeks early. Our local hospital was unable to admit us as there was 'no room at the inn' and it is was only after trying 18 different hospitals that The James Paget in Gorleston found the special care space needed and agreed to accept us.

While Poppy arrived with few problems, Harry had a slightly more eventful entrance to the world, with his heart stopping at least once during delivery and his weight dropping to a mere 4.5lbs shortly after birth. He was taken straight into intensive care and put on a ventilator which kept him breathing while his lungs gained enough strength to function properly on their own.

If it had not been for the skill and dedication of the Staff in the Neo Natal unit at the James Paget Hospital, along with this piece of equipment he would not be the robust bundle of fun he is today and for that we will be forever thankful.

This Unit and its staff do an amazing job and we would like to try and give a little bit back to hopefully help them carry on providing this wonderful care.  I am therefore trying to raise as much money as possible towards the cost of a new ventilator, some £20,000 which was so vital to the survival of Harry and many other premature babies every year.

As such I am going to attempt to ski/walk/climb/crawl my way from Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland along the famous Haute Route. This involves travelling 180km over 5 days, ascending and descending 4 mountains and reaching heights of nearly 4000m's. Only 50% of the groups that attempt this each year make it to the end!

So please dig deep and donate now. Not only will your generosity help premature babies but it will also ensure I complete this daunting challenge!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now. Not only will your generosity help premature babies but it will also ensure I complete this daunting challenge I have set myself!

Thank you,

Seb