Buckie family set to saddle up for charity bike ride
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A FAMILY are set to cycle from Glasgow to their Buckie home to raise cash for a specialist accommodation unit.
Naomi Murray, her partner Sam Clark, father-in-law George Clark and Kris Murray are due to set off this weekend in aid of Ronald McDonald House in Glasgow, which provides free accommodation for families who have a seriously ill child undergoing treatment at the Royal Hospital for Children in the city, as well as other similar hospitals in the area.
Naomi and Sam were told after the 20-week scan that their son Gray had a ventricular septal defect, or hole in the heart, although doctors did not believe it would have an impact on him as a child. However, after Gray was born on October 1, 2019, a check of the hole in his heart revealed that he had a coarctation of the aorta, which meant the main tube in his heart was too tight and blood was not travelling round his body as efficiently as it should
The youngster was quickly airlifted to Glasgow Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he had an operation, aged just nine days, to correct the surgery and has since, says his mum "come on leaps and bounds".
While the medical team had their vital roles to play, so did the staff at Ronald McDonald House, as Naomi explains.
"We were referred to Ronald McDonald House by the lovely nurses looking after Gray in the neonatal unit when we first arrived, and this enabled us to stay on site at the hospital to be closer to him.
"We stayed for nine days and the staff at the house were so helpful and kind to us during our time there – they made us feel at home. It was so nice to have a lovely room which even had a phone that connected straight to the ward Gray was staying in. We also had the ability to visit him day or night no matter what hour as we were only a couple of minutes away.
"We returned to Glasgow four weeks after Gray's operation for a follow up and doctors were happy with how he was thriving – they couldn't believe it was the same baby.
"It was hard to imagine he had only had surgery a short time ago. We also popped into Ronald McDonald House to say hello and to thank staff for their kindness allowing us to stay there while being so far from home."
In order to say 'thank you' to the team at Ronald McDonald House, the quartet are making the final preparations for their sponsored 209-mile ride from Glasgow to Buckie. Naomi described it as a "massive" undertaking for them, especially Sam who has never biked any distance before.
In addition to the sponsored bike ride, Naomi has pledged to hold a tipsy tea party and other fundraisers for Ronald McDonald House.
The house costs in the region of £660,000 per year to run, helping over 1400 people per year and gifting over 10,000 nights’ accommodation annually for families from across Scotland and further afield.
To donate to Naomi's fundraiser, visit her Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/graysspecialheart
