AN OTLEY couple have raised more than £2,500 as a thankyou for the “phenomenal” healthcare their twin babies received.
John and Hannah Flinn, whose daughters Harriet and Vivienne are now 15 months old, have more reason than most to be grateful to local hospital services.
The girls were born prematurely, at just 27 weeks, and needed three months of care at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI), St James’s University Hospital and Harrogate District Hospital.
Then in March this year the twins caught a common infection which proved to be life-threatening, and needed another month in LGI.
It was during this stay that John - an Otley Town Councillor - and Hannah decided to do something practical to thank and support the health workers who have made such a difference to their lives.
Two months later they were taking on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, and next Monday they will hand over the £2,535 proceeds
John said: “Harriet and Vivienne spent a month in hospital suffering from the effects of catching a simple cold that their tiny bodies were unable to fight off.
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“It was a scary time. On Tuesday, March 18, Viv was admitted to hospital and the next day we took Hattie in with the same symptoms.
“By that time Viv required ventilation and the following day she survived two cardiac arrests.
“Our daughters are no strangers to hospital - having arrived at 27 weeks gestation they required three months of hospital care. 
“During this recent spell back at the LGI, we again experienced phenomenal levels of care from nurses, doctors and consultants, whilst finding that the units they work on are under-equipped.
“Simple items that had a critical impact on the lives of our daughters are in too short supply.
“So while we were in hospital with our daughters, we started fundraising to help provide the untiring staff with the equipment they need to be most effective at saving lives.”
Donations can still be made to the Flinns’ Just Giving page at justgiving.com/flinntwins/.
The money raised is being split equally between the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at LGI and the High Dependency Unit at St James’s.