How ‘Uncle Matty’ says thanks for saving little Elsie
MATTHEW Tonks runs a gruelling challenge every year to raise money for Barnsley Hospital neonatal unit that saved his best friends’ daughter when she was born prematurely.
Laura Harper said: “Matthew is mine and my husband Danny’s best friend. In July 2020, unexpectedly, our little daughter, Elsie, was born prematurely at just 27 weeks and spent ten weeks on the Neonatal Unit.
“We continue to be lost for words at the empathy, holistic and personal care given to us by the staff and we wanted to try and give something back.”
Since 2020, Matthew, 31, of Wombwell, has completed yearly ‘David Goggings’ running challenges, which are gruelling sessions of four-mile runs every four hours for 48 hours.
“Through his efforts, we have raised over £4,000 for the neonatal unit at Barnsley. We visit regularoutsidelTyhteoBguillfst with things we have purchased for them with our fundraising.
"We have purchased items including and hats, diaries
for parents, incubator surrounds, muslin cloths and swaddles, blankets and linen, micro nappies and bags. We have also purchased a lot of Snuzclouds. Elsie had one of these whilst she was in neonatal – it’s a small soft cloud that hangs outside the incubator and plays white noise and a lullaby to help babies settle,” said Laura of Pilley.
“This week we are delivering devices called ‘the Zaky Hug’, which replicate ‘hands’ used in incubators in the USA. The idea of these hugging hands are to promote a sense of comfort, protection and warmth to premature babies, whose parents have to leave the unit on an evening without them, which from experience, is heart breaking.
“We have liaised with the company, Zaky Hands in America and they too are keen to follow our story. We have ordered 12 pairs of these, and this means that Barnsley Neonatal Unit will be one of the very few units in the country to offer these to premature babies.”
“Elsie is now two and two months (or 1 year 11 months corrected age) and is doing amazing. She is the funniest little character! She attends nursery and is now in the older class, despite not technically being two yet. We are immensely proud of her; she is our little superstar. Elsie loves Matthew and calls him ‘Uncle Matty’.
“We can’t ever really thank the Neonatal Unit for the amazing holistic care they have given not only to little Elsie, but to myself and Danny too throughout a journey which has been very difficult at times. What Matthew has done is hopefully a way of showing them appreciation from our family.
“This unit is very close to ours and Matthew’s hearts, and we just cannot thank them enough for helping Elsie to become the little superstar she is today!”
Matthew has been shortlisted in the Charity Fundraiser of the Year category in the Proud of Barnsley awards.
Matthew said: “I’m a bit shocked to be shortlisted in the awards but I’m really pleased. The running challenge is tough – it takes a bit of preparing for but I have always been into running, cricket and football.
“It was the Neonatal Unit that did all the hard work looking after Elsie. It’s amazing to see her now when we almost lost her.”