Dad gets on his bike in charity ride for York Hospital (From York Press)

Mark Chrimes gets on his bike in charity ride for Special Care Baby Unit

11:52am Saturday 12th May 2012 in Fundraising fun

THE father of a baby girl born three months premature has set off on a gruelling cycle marathon to raise money for the unit at York Hospital which saved his daughter’s life.

Ten-month-old Olivia Chrimes, of Seaton Ross, weighed only 3lb 9oz when she was born last year, by emergency caesarean at York Hospital. Her dad Mark, 32, who was on a stag weekend at the time in Cheshire, arrived at his wife Carolyn’s bedside with only hours to spare before the birth.

Mrs Chrimes, 32, said: “It’s still a mystery why she came so early. My waters broke when I was shopping and I went straight into hospital.

“I got to hospital at 5pm and she was born at about 1am. She was taken straight to the Special Care Baby Unity (SCBU) and was put on a ventilator.”

The couple, who are both dentists in Market Weighton, spent a tense seven weeks while their daughter remained in hospital, at one point dropping to only 3lb in weight.

“They won’t let them out until they are happy they are gaining weight,” said Mrs Chrimes.

A grateful Mr Chrimes said: “Without a doubt she would not be here without their actions and she certainly wouldn’t be the happy healthy baby she is now,”

To show his gratitude to the team at York, Mr Chrimes set off yesterday morning on the gruelling 148-mile Northern Coast-to-Coast cycle ride, from Whitehaven to Tynemouth, to raise money for the SCBU at York.

Ann Elliott, senior sister on the Special Care Baby Unit at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is fantastic that Mark has decided to raise this money as a thank you to staff on the unit, and we’re grateful for his efforts.”

To sponsor Mr Chrimes, go to his Just Giving page at justgiving.com/Mark-Chrimes1