Teddy's Teddy Trail
Last month, we welcomed over 700 paw-ticipants to the Riverside Museum to take part in Kami Bear’s Teddy Trail 2025. One very special fundraiser was 1-year-old Teddy, whose family have been celebrating his first birthday by taking part in a range of fundraising activities and events, after he was born 10 weeks prematurely and received outstanding care at the Princess Royal Maternity.
Hear from Teddy’s Mum, Helen, about how Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity have supported the family:
Teddy’s Hospital Journey
“Teddy's neonatal journey started when he was born at 30 weeks after I suffered preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) at 28 weeks. Although my pregnancy was classified as high-risk, everything had been smooth until that point, and I was completely unprepared for my baby to arrive at 30 weeks, weighing 3 lbs, 8 oz.
“Teddy worked his way through the NICU, the High Dependency Unit (HDU), and finally the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU). He moved from intubation to CPAP, then to high-flow oxygen, and eventually to air.
“Our journey wasn't without its ups and downs. Thanks to the support of an incredible nurse named Tanya, we successfully established breastfeeding, and Teddy was able to come home a full month before his original due date!
“Adding to the stress of his six-week stay was my own difficult recovery. Our family faced this journey together, and thanks to the hospital's continued care, we made a successful transition home.
“Coming home from the NICU is incredibly scary. Within 12 hours of our discharge, Teddy’s dad was back at work, and I was navigating life with a premature baby and the school run with big brother Rory. Thankfully, the incredible NICU liaison team provided constant support and made us feel safe. With their help, Teddy thrived at home.”
How Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity Made a Paw-sitive Difference
“Our family benefitted hugely from several charity-funded services during Teddy’s stay, and they made the six weeks more bearable. The vCreate NICU Diaries were invaluable.
“Receiving pictures, videos, and updates of Teddy throughout the night and early morning made such a huge difference, it allowed us to feel connected to him even when we were at home.”
Teddy’s Mum, Helen
“The Express Yourself Project also offered crucial practical help. The tote bag, complete with a cool bag, ice pack, water bottle, and feeding information, made expressing and transporting breastmilk between home and the unit so much easier. It was one less stressful thing to organise during an incredibly tough time, and I continued to use this once Teddy was home.
“We were motivated to fundraise because we wanted to give back to the unit that saved Teddy's life and raise awareness for the work that Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity does within neonatal units. The six weeks Teddy spent in the neonatal unit were physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting for our family. We wanted to raise money to help make that challenging hospital stay a little bit easier for other families like ours.
“Teddy was born during NICU Awareness Month, which I hadn't even known about last year. Even though we didn't spend time at the Royal Hospital for Children, we still benefitted from the charity's resources. We wanted to make sure other families knew that Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity helps support all neonatal units across Glasgow and directly impacted our time at the Princess Royal Maternity Neonatal Unit.”
Bear-y Special Fundraisers
“Since Teddy graduated from the neonatal unit, we've tried to support Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity as much as possible, from visiting Santa at Buchanan Galleries, to donating and buying items from their charity shop. We also attended the Neonatal Reunion at Wonder World Soft Play.
“To celebrate his first birthday and support the charity, we took part in Kami Bear’s Teddy Trail!
“We couldn't resist taking our own wee Teddy bear along.”
Teddy’s Mum, Helen
“His older brother, Rory, was also excited to walk a full 5km and find all the items along Kami’s trail.
“In addition to the trail, we threw a party for family and close friends to celebrate his birthday, where we set up a donation station. To boost our fundraising, I also decided to donate all my Vinted sales from the month of September.
“Teddy’s Dad, Scott, has also signed up to run a 10K next year for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. We recently returned to the PRM Neonatal Unit so Teddy could present a cheque from his fundraising. Seeing so many familiar faces, including Teddy’s neonatologist, Dr. Still, was a reminder of exactly why we raised these funds.”