A YOUNG mum has pledged to abseil from the top of a hospital to thank staff for treating her newborn son.

Hannah Smith, who will drop 100ft down the side of Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital, said she had not used the Headington hospital since her own birth 28 years ago, but found herself needing it twice in 10 days when her son Jack fell ill.

In July she experienced complications with Jack's birth and was whisked to the JR from Cotswold Birth Centre in Chipping Norton. Just nine days later the family were back for something more serious.

Doctors discovered Jack wasn't getting enough oxygen, and worked around the clock to diagnose him.

The newborn was given a lumbar puncture – a needle inserted into his spine to test for conditions affecting the brain and nervous system – and was diagnosed with a serious chest infection.

Mrs Smith, from Stanton Harcourt, a logistics manager at BMW Mini in Cowley, said: "As new parents it was a very scary time - especially as he was so little and couldn't tell us what was wrong.

"I wouldn't want to have a lumbar puncture myself so seeing my baby son have one was very difficult.

"But the staff at the hospital were amazing. The doctors talk you through everything step by step and the nurses keep coming round to check on you every hour."

When Mr and Mrs Smith finally took their young son home after three days of tests, something caught the 28-year-old's eye to inspire her to fundraise for the hospital.

She said: "I saw a post advertising the abseil and decided to sign up to do it.

"You just don't know when you might need the JR. I was born there but hadn't been back until I suddenly needed it with the birth of my child, but it's so comforting to know its there.

"All the little things, such as the kitchen in the ward, are so useful and worth raising money for. You don't even think about sorting food when all you're thinking about is your child."

The young mum, who had a target of £250, but has already reached almost £500, said she was nervous ahead of the abseil, but urged others to sign up and raise money.

The abseil takes place at the John Radcliffe hospital on Sunday September 25 and is open to anyone aged 18 and over and medically fit to take part. It costs £20.

There are three other charities that people can raise money for by taking part including the Silver Star Society, supporting mums through complicated pregnancies; The Oxford Eye Hospital and the Adult Emergency Assessment Unit at the JR.

For more information and to sign up go hospitalcharity.co.uk/abseils or call 01865 743444.