This man is pushing himself to the limit for a Leeds charity he can’t thank enough..

A grateful dad will move right out of his comfort zone to tackle the Great North Run, to say a big thank you to a charity that was there for his family at a critical time.

Paul Colenutt, 32 from Ossett, aims to raise £500 for The Sick Children’s Trust, that gave him a place to stay just minutes from his sick baby son’s hospital bedside.

At three days old baby George suddenly began coughing blood. He was admitted to the local hospital in Wakefield, then rushed to Leeds Children’s Hospital for a lifesaving operation for an intestinal bleed.

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Paul and his wife, Jen, were offered a room, free of charge, at the Trust’s ‘home from home’, Eckersley House, within the hospital grounds, while George recovered in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Paul, an analytical chemist at ALS Environmental, said: “The Sick Children’s Trust supported us for a week when our world was turned upside down and since then I’ve really wanted to give back to them.

“It was very touch and go when George was rushed to hospital. Facing the unknown made us both feel so helpless. Although we couldn’t do anything to ease George’s pain, at least we could be there for him day or night. He was never alone.

“At Eckersley House we were never far away from George and didn’t have to worry about the time it would take to be at his side if he needed us. Because Eckersley House is a few minutes’ walk from the ward, when George was sleeping we could go to cook a meal or do our laundry and be back within no time at all.”

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George is now three years old and doing well. To donate to Paul’s fundraising page visit, virginmoneygiving.com/PaulGColenutt, or for further information about The Sick Children’s Trust, go to sickchildrenstrust.org

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