Karl’s 14,000ft climb for the baby team

Aiming high . . . Karl Shackley plans to conquer Mont Blanc

A FAILSWORTH father is going the extra mile to raise money for the unit that kept his prematurely born son alive.

Karl Shackley (42) will climb to the summit of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, in aid of the Royal Oldham Hospital’s special care baby unit.

Son Joey was born at 28 weeks, weighing only 2lbs 6ozs. He spent the first two months of his life at the unit suffering brain haemorrhages and breathing difficulties.

Karl, a manager at Housing Units in Hollinwood, will attempt the 13,946ft climb on Wednesday with friends Brian Robinson, Mike Gillett and Lee Howarth.

The group is hoping to raise a total of £5,000. Donations have been pouring in online at www.just giving .com/montblanc2009. Karl said: “Joey’s just coming up to five now — and other than an occasional touch of asthma, he’s in perfect condition. I’ve been working on thanking the hospital for some time — I got to know the staff very well, made some friends for life and have become acutely aware of the financial challenges the unit faces.

“The team at the special care baby unit were incredible.

They were enormously professional, very reassuring and calming, and had a superb manner about them, helping relieve some of the stress at a very difficult time.

“So far we’ve done a few events as training for climbing Mont Blanc — the Manchester 10k, a Manchester to Liverpool and back bike ride, we walked coast-to-coast following Hadrian’s Wall, the Yorkshire three peaks and a Manchester to Blackpool bike ride.

“Later in the year we’ll be doing more events.”

The pals left for Switzerland on Friday. They will train and acclimatise all week with a planned climb to the top on Saturday.