Now you are probably wondering what this is all about. OK, allow me to explain.

First, remember the name, “PICU THE PENGUIN” ( PeeCoo ) you are going to hear a lot more of this little chap. It’s amazing what you think of at three in the morning.

The second point is on a more serious note. Quite recently our fifteen month old granddaughter was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit of the Freeman Hospital. Back in September of 2006 she was diagnosed with a rather rare condition by the name of Cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart). At the point of admission she was in an advanced state of cardiac failure. At the risk of sounding dramatic, as far as we are concerned, the expertise of the medical and nursing staff saved our granddaughter’s life. She has recently been fitted with an artificial heart, (Berlin Heart) and we now await the arrival of a donor heart.

I confess we are having difficulty finding words to express our gratitude. The compassionate attitude of the staff is something you need to experience. As grandparents we have decided to say thank you in a way that we feel appropriate. Hopefully we trust our forthcoming efforts will benefit other children who may require such expertise. The requirements of a specialised Unit such as the Paediatric Intensive Care are immense and subject to constant change as improvements in technical development produce even more sophisticated and dedicated equipment.

So, as a consequence, my wife Alex and I intend to put wheels in motion to raise the sum of £50k. This campaign will commence now, and will continue until the final figure is achieved. We may well hand over funds in two or three stages. The P.I.C.U. and Freeman Hospital are fully supportive. We will be working closely with Pauline Buglass, who apart from having an insatiable appetite and enthusiasm for the task in hand, acts as the Trust Fundraising Manager.