Boost for baby unit in memory of Adam

Adam Milner, aged two years, died in August 2009 after a piece of sausage became lodged in his throat at a nursery in Huddersfield despite the frantic efforts of doctors in Huddersfield and Leeds to revive him.

His parents, Steve and Vicky, originally from Huddersfield and now living in Halifax, have so far donated over £2,000 for cots and equipment at the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Calderdale Royal Hospital and more than £8,000 to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Leeds General Infirmary where Adam died.

The donation to SCBU was made because when he was newly born Adam spent 16 days in special care after doctors said he wouldn’t last an hour following an emergency caesarean.

He battled on and was nicknamed “miracle baby” by staff on the ward.

The money raised is from the collection from the funeral after the family requested no flowers, and his father, together with a group of friends completed a Three Peaks fundraiser which raised over £8,000.

The donation to PICU has been used to purchase a specialist piece of breathing equipment called Vapotherm which helps regulate oxygen and other gas flows for patients experiencing serious breathing difficulties.

In addition, other staff at Mr Milner’s work, Clarion Solicitors in Leeds, continue to raise monies for PICU, most notably managing partner Mark Burns who is part-way through completing a decathlon of events over the course of the year in aid of PICU together with two other charities.

Approximately £2000 remains to be allocated from the initial fundraising and the couple are discussing with both SCBU and PICU as to how best to use those monies. The couple also have a son Evan, who was born seven weeks after Adam died, who is now nearly two and daughter Isabel who will be one in October.

Nurse Alison Massey received the donation yesterday (Thurs) on behalf of SCBU. She worked on the SCBU unit and became close to the family after Adam was born.

She said: “It is a pleasure to receive this cheque from Mr and Mrs Milner after such a huge fundraising effort by them and their friends. It will help us buy equipment which will help tiny and poorly babies to survive into the future.”

Mrs Milner said: “The nurses on SCBU do such a wonderful job day in and day out. They are angels. We just wanted to give back. Likewise, the staff at PICU did everything they could and helped make our last few days with Adam as bearable as possible. Adam was a wonderful little boy, full of smiles and is terribly missed by us all, but he will live on in our hearts forever.”