For more information about why I am skydiving at 70, for Nottingham Hospitals Charity, please visit Facebook.com/SuperGeorgeArmy or the main fundraising team page at justgiving.com/teams/SuperGeorgeArmy (but please sponsor me on this page!!)

The skydive has been fully funded (by my lovely wife!) so all money raised will go directly to the fundraising appeal launched by my stepdaughter, Sophie. Her son, George Arthur Parkins, (Super George), was born 9 September 2017. Shortly after being born it was identified that he had been born with a number of undiagnosed conditions which meant he was gravely ill. He was given a 50/50 chance of surviving the journey from the Royal Derby Hospital to Nottingham’s Queens Medical Centre. 

To date he has undergone an incredible 24 operations, and he is only 19 months old. 

Sophie hopes to raise £25K to say thank you to QMC for saving her babies life on more than one occasion. £15K has been raised so far and I want to help reach the big goal of £25K. Are you a grandparent, a parent, an auntie or uncle? Please help us to thank the NHS for the miracle workers who saved my grandsons life. 

Huge thanks for anything you can spare.

Cav x 

#SkydiveAt70

The ambitious goal of Super George’s Army Fundraising Appeal is to raise £25,000 to fully-fund a specialist parent’s education and training room; a peaceful, calm, welcoming environment for parents/ carers of babies with a variety of complex issues in NICU, to learn how to care for their baby.

George is known to friends, family and hospital staff as Super George, after all he has overcome. The training room is to be named after him and be a lasting legacy at the hospital for many years.

Super George’s Room will create an environment suitable to teach parents/ carers the vital skills of resuscitation, in the unfortunate event they need to use these skills at home. They will be trained how to change tracheostomy equipment safely and what to do if things don’t go according to plan.

There will be pit-stop training for newborn resuscitation; training NICU staff to plan and undertake newborn resuscitation to improve outcomes for babies. Education and training resources around breast feeding, infection prevention, stoma care, and tube feeding will be available too.

This multi-purpose room will make it easier for staff and parents to plan a safe discharge home. It will also be used as a local space for parent support groups to meet.

Vital resources and equipment are also required to ensure the room is suitable for use, including: 

🌟Newborn resuscitation platform and equipment for training £9,000

🌟Breathing equipment for training using the above £3,500

🌟Training manikins – term, preterm and specialist (e.g. tracheostomy, stoma) £3,000

🌟Flip top table (x2) and chairs allowing room to double as meeting resource £1,400

🌟Laptop for training/education – videos/ presentations/ resuscitation training etc £1,300 

🌟Webcam to record training sessions for playback and learning £100

🌟Privacy blinds for room £350

🌟Whiteboard for teaching/education £200

🌟Storage area/ boxes/ cupboards £400

🌟Installation/ commissioning costs £2,400 inc. plaque for ‘Super George’s Room’

🌟Additional costs (potential fluctuating prices/ other equipment required) £3,350*

*Any funds not needed for these requirements will be used to purchase additional equipment required within NICU/ PICU at QMC for patients and their families to use whilst in hospital.