Wiltshire Publications

Issue 503 – Sponsored bike ride raises thousands for paediatric unit

A WESTBURY family has presented a cheque for £3,120 to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital, in memory of their baby daughter.

In September Lucy and Jim Pickernell organised a sponsored bike ride for children at Westbury United Football Club to raise funds for the unit, which cared for their daughter Maisie before she died in May last year.
Lucy said, “We were very pleased with the total – it was from sponsorship money and we sold a lot of raffle tickets because we had a lot of good prizes from businesses. We also had a bouncy castle and barbecue. A big thank you to all our friends and families and the companies who supported us because without them it wouldn’t have happened, and of course to all the children who took part!”
Maisie Ann was born with a genetic condition, spinal muscular atrophy, and died when she was 9 weeks old.
Lucy said, “We couldn’t fault the care that everyone at the unit gave her, and they gave us accommodation so we stayed there the whole time she was being cared for.”
Lucy and Jim Pickernell presented the cheque for £3,120 to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital. It was received by Dr Stephen Marriage (associate specialist in paediatric intensive care, Viv Copper (Maisie’s key nurse) and Dr David Grant (consultant in paediatric intensive care) at Bristol Children’s Hospital.
The Pickernells now hope to run another fundraising event next year.