In March 2026, I’ll be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro — the highest peak in Africa standing at 5,895m (19,341ft) — to raise money for the Royal Derby Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Climbing Kilimanjaro has been on my bucket list for years and I can’t think of a more meaningful reason to take on the challenge than to give back to the hospital ward that gave our son the best possible start in life.

Our little boy, Oliver, was due in March — but life had other plans. He surprised us by arriving seven weeks early. In fact, he made his appearance on the very day Meg had planned her baby shower.

His birth was far from routine. After a gruelling 15-hour labour, Oliver was delivered with forceps. Meg lost a third of her blood and was rushed to theatre for a blood transfusion and to find the source of the bleeding. Because of his early arrival, Oliver was immediately taken to the NICU following birth.

Once Meg was discharged from the postnatal ward, we were lucky enough to stay on NICU for the next three weeks, right alongside Oliver. After the trauma of his birth, NICU became our place of calm and safety— and that’s entirely down to the exceptional care, kindness and support of the staff.

With all our focus on Oliver, it was easy to forget to look after ourselves — but the staff made sure we didn’t. We were provided with accommodation, meals, a friendly face to talk to and Meg was prompted regularly to get the rest she needed for a speedy recovery. Their compassion and attention to our wellbeing turned a difficult and scary time into a positive, memorable experience.

During his stay, Oliver received care of an exceptional standard. He started out in an incubator, was treated for jaundice with Bili Beds, kept warm with thermal mattresses, had 24/7 monitoring, regular blood tests and he was provided with countless consumables — from nappies and wipes, to teeny tiny baby clothes and blankets.

Because Oliver hadn’t developed his sucking reflex, he was tube-fed for the majority of his three week stay. I was trained and signed off to help with his feeds — something that helped me bond with him in a meaningful way while Meg recovered.

Although Oliver wasn’t able to breastfeed, Breastfeeding Champions on the ward gave us amazing support, advice, and access to breast pumping facilities. They even stored all the milk Meg expressed, returning it to us when we were ready to go home.

Before being discharged, Oliver spent two nights in a private room with us. The staff made sure he was thriving, as well as us making sure we felt confident and ready to take our little boy home into the big wide world. The preparation and advice we received was flawless.

It’s hard to put into words how grateful we are for the care we received at Derby NICU. We’re just one of countless families whose lives have been touched by their work. The staff not only cared for our son — they gave us the confidence and strength to care for him ourselves. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to bond so closely with Oliver during those early, critical weeks.

Although his arrival wasn’t smooth sailing, we’re incredibly thankful to have had an extra seven weeks with him — a gift we’ll never take for granted.

As I prepare to return to work after five unforgettable months of paternity leave, I want to say thank you in the biggest way I can: by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for Derby NICU. The money raised will help them continue their life-changing work and support more families like ours.

Any donation, big or small, will make a huge difference. Thank you so much for your support.