A KIND-hearted eleven-year-old girl took on ten of Wainwright’s highest peaks to raise money for Bay Hospitals Charity and the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at Furness General Hospital (FGH).

Cora Barker was rushed to the Barrow hospital after it was discovered she had E-Coli in her blood and was forced to spend the first couple of weeks of her life in hospital.

Cora, along with her mum Louise, dad Jim and big brother Arlo completed all of Wainwright’s top-ten peaks during a ten-month period between March and November last year, scaling Skiddaw, Bowfell, Helvellyn, Nethermost Pike, Castycam, Pillar, Great Gable, Great End, Scafell and Scafell Pike.

To date, Cora has raised more than £1,000 in sponsorship money.

“I wanted to do something special whilst I was ten years old as a way of saying thank you to all the doctors and nurses at the hospital in Barrow for making me better when I was a baby," said Kendal-born Cora, who lives near Keswick.

Bay Hospitals Charity is a registered charity that raises funds and supports UHMBT’s five hospital sites, including Furness General Hospital. Donations made to the charity go to providing those extras that go ‘above and beyond’ what the NHS is currently able to support to help make the hospital experience better or improve outcomes for local people.

Money is used to fund additional medical equipment, specialist training for staff and also goes towards improving the physical hospital environment.

Cora said: “It was really nice to meet Heather, Heidi and some of the nurses at the hospital and I am happy that I managed to raise so much money for the charity. Heidi gave me some sweets and a nice thank-you card and Heather even gave me a tour of the new South Lakes Birth Centre."

Heather Wood, matron for children and young people at Furness General Hospital, adds: “It was lovely to tell Cora how we hope to use the money she has raised to purchase additional breast-feeding pumps for babies who need that little bit of additional support."

Support Cora at www.justgiving.com/cora10. Visit: www.bayhospitalscharity.org/donate