A Finchingfield dad raised more than £2,000 with a cycling challenge for the charity which helped his baby son.
James Eddleston's son Jude was born on six weeks early by emergency Caesarean section on June 5 last year, and was resuscitated and placed on a ventilator.
Jude was urgently transferred from Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital for life-saving treatment at the specialist neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge.
On Monday, May 27, James, 36, cycled the exact 41-mile route taken by the ambulance that transported Jude, accompanied by his father-in-law John Stow - Jude's grandad.
The pair exceeded their initial target of £1,500, raising more than £2,100 for The Sick Children's Trust, which provided the 'home from home' Chestnut House for James to stay nearby while Jude was being ventilated.
To donate go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-eddleston-1699795212395.
James said: "I honestly don’t know what I would have done without Chestnut House.
"I travelled to Cambridge by car, arriving just after Jude got there. I was stressed, bewildered, exhausted, and emotional.
"Faith, my wife, stayed in Chelmsford for three days while she recovered from her c-section, which was so difficult for her.
"She was inconsolable when she saw him in the transport incubator, with wires and tubes connected to his tiny body.
"It was a really difficult time, but being given a place to stay at Chestnut House, just two floors below NICU, made things just that little bit easier."
After being discharged, Faith spent days with Jude and James in Cambridge before returning to sleep at home to aid her recovery while staying close to Jude's older sister Maeve.
After six days Jude had recovered enough to return to Chelmsford, where he spent four more days before coming home on June 15.
James said: "I’ll never be able to thank The Sick Children’s Trust enough, but by completing ‘Jude’s Journey’ I’m trying to give something back to them, raising the funds they need to support families just like mine.
"It was a hard but very rewarding challenge. Riding through Finchingfield was the best part, as Faith, Jude and Maeve were waiting for us with balloons and a banner, wearing their Sick Children's Trust T-shirts. It really gave us the boost we needed to keep going.
"I felt so proud but also quite emotional when we arrived at The Rosie.
"Seeing Chestnut House again and the PaNDR ambulances outside the hospital brought back a lot of memories, a strong reminder about why we did this.
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"As I’m not a cyclist this was a big challenge for me. That said, I’m determined to raise even more money and awareness for The Sick Children’s Trust so hope to take on the 100 mile Ride London event next year."
Chestnut House provides families with an en-suite twin bedroom, a communal kitchen, a communal dining room, playroom and laundry facilites.
The Sick Children's Trust provides eight of these 'homes from home' around the UK, offering families a place to stay a few minutes from their child's bedside.
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