Uncle’s 190 mile walk of love for ‘miracle’ nephew he has never met

‘Little miracle’ Oscar Robinson was born 15 weeks early and just three weeks after his mum Cheryl discovered she was pregnant.

Now his uncle Will – who has never met Oliver, who was born in lockdown – and cousin Adam are walking 190 miles Coast to Coast for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity.

Will, who is originally from Saltaire, is planning to start his Long Distance Love walk on May 21 – Oscar’s first birthday.

Cheryl was still processing the news that she was pregnant when she went into premature labour, with Oscar born at 25 weeks, weighing just 1.5lb. He was cared for by the team at Bradford’s Neonatal Unit before being discharged just before his due date, three months later.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Will and his son Adam have been unable to visit Oscar, so they decided to show their appreciation for the amazing care he received by raising money for Bradford Hospitals’ Charity’s BIG Neonatal Appeal.

“Ozzy is a little miracle,” says Will, whose brother James is Oliver’s dad. “He’s with us because of the incredible team of doctors, nurses and all the support staff at the BRI’s Neonatal Unit who nurtured him and provided everything Ozzy needed for him to develop and grow. He was given the absolute best chance of life.”

Will now lives in Hampshire with his fiancée Tracey, their four children and grandson George.

“Oscar was born during lockdown and I felt frustrated that I couldn’t help, so I had to find another route to show my support from a distance.

“What I can do is try and support these miracle workers, the brand new parents, the doctors, nurses and indeed all the staff who perform these amazing feats.”

Will and son Adam have been training all year. They both say they are feeling more than ready for the iconic 192-mile walk, devised by famous fellwalker Alfred Wainwright.

The start of the walk will also be the first time Oscar has met his uncle and family, as he will be waving them off.

“We’re walking Wainwright’s original route – through the fells and mountains of Cumbria, over the Dales and down to the North York Moors to raise a little bit of money to help build better and bigger facilities for parents and family so they can all be at the feet of their little miracles 24 hours a day.”

Visit Will and Adam’s Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/william-robinson14 You can also follow their journey on Instagram @c2c_longdistancelove.

For information on the BIG Neonatal Appeal, visit https://bradfordhospitalscharity.org/big-neonatal-appeal/. If you would like to support your local NHS by donating, fundraising or volunteering, call Bradford Hospitals’ Charity on 01274 274809 or email [email protected]