Top gear for premature babies

A pair of Hoy brothers have gone the extra mile for premature babies after undertaking a mammoth cycling challenge.

The Clark brothers, Malcolm, ten, and Russell, eight, have raised over £2,000, cycling to and from their home in the north of the island to North Walls School each day last week — that’s 18 miles a day across some of the toughest roads in Orkney.

It was a task dedicated to those who helped Malcolm, who lived for the first three months of his life in the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary neonatal unit, having been born at 26 weeks and six days premature. 

He weighed just 1lb and 14oz.

For those anxious weeks, mum Dawn and dad Adam trusted the staff and equipment to keep their newborn son alive.

Now, ten years later, Malcolm has hit top gear in his support of the Archie Foundation, which merged with Aberdeen’s specialist neonatal charity the Friends of the Neonatal Unit, to provide vital care for babies, who, like him, are born too soon.

Looking back on Malcolm’s entry into this world, Mr Clark said he is immensely grateful for what the hospital staff did.

“When you went in it looked such a hectic environment, but the staff were so calm, they were unbelievable,” he said.

The need for such specialist equipment is one of the things that sticks in Mrs Clark’s mind.

“I remember everything was so small,” she said.

“The tubes and everything has to be specially made just for that unit. 

“The babies need all the specialised equipment, which is donated by groups; everything, the hats, the blankets are all so tiny.”

The boys’ choice of fundraiser came as a surprise to their mum, who cycled every mile with them.

“They said they wanted to raise money for the charity,” said the 40-year-old financial assistant.

“I asked if they wanted to do a walking or cycling challenge, they said cycling. Then I asked if they could cycle home from school and they said they could cycle there and back.”

The notoriously hilly island roads did not put the brothers off. Among the challenges, Malcolm said, Ore Brae, Pegal and Rysa were the hardest.

“It is alright going down Pegal, but Rysa is probably the hardest hill to go up,” he said.

He added “going over the cattle grid between Rysa farm and Rysa lodge” was the best part.

After five days, the boys challenge is over but their JustGiving page, Malcolm and Russell’s fundraiser for the Archie Foundation, remains open: www.justgiving.com/page/malcolm-clark-3