Fed member completes epic challenge for team who saved his baby’s life

19 October 2022

A Police Federation member who took on a 180-mile challenge in 36 hours to raise money for the team that saved his newborn baby’s life says that seeing his daughter clapping him across the finish line is a memory he will never forget.

Nottinghamshire PC Robin Gurney swam 17 miles before cycling 130 miles and then running 40 miles to raise money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Nottingham City Hospital.

His fundraising efforts stem back to December 2020, when his twin daughters Freyja and Orla were born, with Orla needing life-saving care.

“Orla was the second to be born and I knew instantly that something was up, something just wasn’t right. Within minutes, the panic button had been hit and loads of medical staff were rushing in. To say it was horrendous is an understatement,” recalled Robin.

Orla had been born without a pulse, which meant she immediately needed CPR and adrenaline, before being rushed into intensive care. 

“They couldn’t stop her from bleeding from the head, her blood just wasn’t clotting. There was a point that we were told we might have to say goodbye to our little girl,” added Robin. 

Orla spent three-and-a-half-weeks in the neonatal unit, with Robin, his partner Sianne and Freyja by her side. 

“It honestly felt like we were there for years,” added Robin, who said the experience was an emotional rollercoaster, with it being the best time becoming a first-time dad but also every parent’s worst nightmare, watching their newborn fight for her life.

“You’re going through the most incredible time of your life, but also the more horrible time too, it’s weird looking back at it now.”

“It’s strange, as an officer I’ve been to so many traumatic and tragic jobs but nothing can prepare you for something so horrendous happening to you. I think people forget that underneath the uniform, we’re all still human,” added Robin who has been in the Force for five years. 

Thanks to the care she received from the neonatal team, Orla went on to make a miraculous recovery, before spending a further month recovering in hospital.

Almost 22 months on, and both Freyja and Orla are thriving.

“There are still a few things that Orla needs to work on, but she is exceeding everyone’s expectations. At the moment, it looks like the damage to her brain will be relatively minor. Both myself and Sianne feel extremely lucky to have her here today.”

Inspired by his little girl and the neonatal team, Robin decided to take on a fundraising challenge. 

“As much as it was about raising money for the neonatal unit, I wanted to raise awareness too. There seems to be this taboo almost around talking about birth stories not always going to plan, people just don’t talk about it. It’s not until you go through something like this, that you become more aware of the neonatal unit even being there,” explained Robin.

“I hope that me taking on this challenge gets people talking, and ignites that conversation.

“For me, there’s no one more deserving of that money than the neonatal team. They are an incredible team and some of the most caring people I have ever met. To our family, they are genuine heroes and we can’t say thank you to them enough. They literally saved our daughter’s life."

Robin completed his challenge in August, raising £7,000 for the neonatal team.

“I was a broken man after 24 hours and I had 12 more to go. I don’t know how I did it, but I did - it was my girls who kept me going, thinking about Freyja and Orla,” added Robin.

“I’ll never forget that last moment. I turned the corner and saw everyone waiting for me, cheering and Orla was there, clapping. It was adorable, and almost as if she knew what was going on.

“And some of my colleagues were there, that really meant a lot to me.”

Sianne completed part of the challenge with Robin, including two hours of the swim and almost the entire duration of the running stint.

He ended: “I raised well beyond what I ever thought I would. I’ve had some amazing contributions and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who donated, especially because I know how difficult times are for some people at the moment.”

You can still donate to Robin’s JustGiving Page.