Doctor in 500-mile charity trek
Date published: 27 June 2014
A CONSULTANT at the Royal Oldham Hospital is walking 500 miles across Northern Spain to raise money for premature babies.
Dr Lydia Bowden, a member of the British Association of Perinatal Medicine, flew out on Sunday to take on the ancient pilgrimage route, Camino de Santiago, in support of baby charities CAFOD and BLISS.
She has been campaigning to make neonatal units more family-friendly nationwide, and will be joined for part of the the six-week walk by two school friends.
Dr Bowden said: “I see the support BLISS gives to families who have sick or pre-term babies on the neonatal unit at a very challenging time.
“CAFOD supports humanitarian emergencies all over the world providing food shelter and medical aid. I first learned about the Camino while studying Spanish at school, so when I was looking for a challenge for my 50th birthday this seemed the ideal solution.
The Camino is a walk across the Pyrenees from St Jean Pied du Pont to Santiago de Compostella.
The route travels through Pamplona and across Rioja wine country through Galicia.
To sponsor Dr Bowden see www.justgiving.com/teams/Lydia-Bowden
