Tour Aotearoa for The Neonatal Trust
I'm riding the length of the country in support of The Neonatal Trust. Please help support the trust to continue their important work.
Otago
Exactly five years after my son Oscar came home after spending the first month of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, I’ll be attempting to ride my mountain bike the length of New Zealand in a month, as part of the Tour Aotearoa.
It’ll be a tough journey but nothing like those weeks after Oscar was born, when initially each day was uncertain and we didn’t know how long it would be before we could bring him home. Like 10% of babies in New Zealand, Oscar was born premature, arriving 7 weeks early. It wasn't plain sailing - unfortunately he was born harbouring an infection that caused his temperature to rise so much he no longer needed his incubator. Finally, after 3 types of antibiotics and the support and care of all the NICU staff, he began to turn a corner and respond again to the world around him. We know we were one of the lucky families.
Starting February 22, 2020 I'll be travelling under my own power, unsupported and self sufficient, where as during Oscar’s stay in hospital we had amazing support, from the NICU nurses and The Neonatal Trust.
The Neonatal Trust doesn't receive any government funding, relying entirely on the generosity of the donations they receive. The main objectives of the trust are to support the families, provide equipment, professional development for staff, and to aid neonatal medical research.
I’d love to be able to raise $1 for every kilometre I ride. If 20 people gave just 5 cents per km I pedal, together we could raise $3,000 to help The Neonatal Trust provide crucial support for families of premature babies and better resource NICU.
Phil Chapman's involvement (page creator)
As a parent of a premature baby whose initial journey into this world was pretty rough, we were blown away with the support that our whanau received while our child was being cared for. Now 5 years on it seems timely to give back.
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Latest update
We did it! 16 March 2020
A huge thank you to all you generous people who have donated to this Givealittle fundraiser, and to those who have sent words of encouragement as I biked the length of NZ .
I finished my 3000 km odyssey on Thursday March 12, just over 19 days after I started, with my family meeting me at Stirling Point in Bluff.
An incredible adventure, the Tour Aotearoa has given me many happy memories, a renewed love of our beautiful country and its people, and the deep satisfaction of a rewarding achievement.
To make the day even more satisfying, a generous donation on Thursday meant that we hit my target of $1 per km, with a current total of $3023 raised for The Neonatal Trust to use to help support families of premature babies.
In an incredibly generous gesture, my employer - Port Otago – has offered to match what I raise, so that total will double to over $6000. This is what makes me the most proud, that my ride has resulted in a lasting legacy in the form of a significant financial contribution to an organisation committed to providing crucial support to families at a time of stress, and helping support research.
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