A SILSDEN dad has raised over £2,700 for Airedale Hospital's neonatal unit in tribute to the care his son received.

Oliver Walsh ran the Yorkshire Marathon, wearing a 9kg vest to represent the average weight of a one-year-old baby boy.

His son, Oliver Jnr, was born at 28 weeks.

He spent seven-and-a-half weeks on the unit.

"As a parent it’s a scary feeling entering a ward with alarms going off – at first you have no clue what they mean," says Oliver, merchandise and shipping manager with Cottingley-based Kamico.

"There’s a lot of worry and panic in that initial period, but we feel so lucky to have had the support of the staff on the unit. They were great at keeping us as calm as possible and took the time to explain what was happening.

"Getting ready to bring Oliver Jnr home brought on a lot of mixed emotions. It felt daunting after he'd been in hospital for so long."

Laura Hepworth, community fundraiser with Airedale Hospital & Community Charity, says: "Oliver should be so proud of what he’s achieved. Running a marathon is a difficult task, but with the additional weight it's incredible."

People can still donate at justgiving.com/page/weighvestmarathon