Flying leap for mum of twins (From Salisbury Journal)
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Flying leap for mum of twins
12:25pm Monday 26th March 2012 in Fundraising efforts from around the county By Elizabeth Kemble
A MUM of twins has made a flying leap from 13,000ft to help fund a baby unit at the hospital where her children spent the first few weeks of their lives.
Clare Mclaughlin, whose husband Chris is deploying to Afghanistan next month with 32 Royal Artillery, completed the skydive with Zara Thomas to raise money for the neonatal intensive care unit at Salisbury District Hospital.
The two friends are hoping to raise £1,000 and chose the Stars Appeal after Lilly and Ellie were treated there when they were born prematurely at 33 weeks in June last year.
“When you have a baby you expect them to come home with you and have cuddles when you leave hospital and it was horrible to have to leave them behind at the end of the day,” Mrs Mclaughlin said.
“My husband and I were travelling there and back to Larkhill everyday which was quite tough and I wanted to do something so parents now and in the future don’t have to go through the travelling that we did.”
The new £800,000 unit, which is due to open at the end of this year, will be more than three times the size of the current one and includes family accommodation to allow parents to stay alongside their children.
To sponsor the skydive which took place at Netheravon on Saturday, visit justgiving.com/claremclaughlin-zarathomas.
