A NEW life-saving incubator has been given to a Bristol hospital thanks to a Clevedon dad’s fundraising efforts.

In June, Steve Fox and his friend Chris Byrne took on a massive challenge to ride from North Germany to Bristol to collect cash for Southmead Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Steve’s son Rupert was born in September 2011 with Down’s Syndrome and soon after his arrival was rushed into the NICU due to problems with his heart. He stayed there for two weeks before being allowed home.

To say thank you for the efforts of those at the hospital, Steve and Chris decided to take on the challenge to raise enough money for a new Draeger Caleo incubator for the unit. Their week-long journey began at Draeger’s headquarters in Luebeck, Germany.

Steve, of Butterfield Park, said: “We were extremely passionate about this and wanted to give something back to the hospital and the staff whilst also acknowledging the Draeger technology that helped save my son’s life.”

In addition to the money Steve and Chris raised for a new incubator, Draeger, has also donated a monitor to the Southmead Hospital unit that can check jaundice levels in babies. As a result, the total amount raised for the NICU came to £27,000.