World News
Widnes builder scales mountain to buy baby incubator
7:30am Thursday 9th February 2012
A COURAGEOUS Widnes dad is climbing the highest mountain in Africa this week in memory of his baby son.
Jason Mullen, aged 41, is scaling Mount Kilimanjaro to raise £30,000 for a portable incubator for premature babies.
His son, Alfie Flynn was born 16 weeks early, weighing only 1lb 9oz.
He survived at Whiston Hospital for seven months until he developed bronchialitis and died.
Builder Jason, of Upton Lane, said: “Alfie was great. He was always smiling, a happy little thing.
“I need to do this as part of my healing.
“I will experience how he felt every day struggling to breathe. It will be a little insight into his daily life as I reach the top of the mountain. ”
Jason and his wife, Anita, are expecting a baby in March.
Jason, who runs a construction company, said: “It’s a little boy and he’s looking wonderful.
“I want to thank my wife who has been dead supportive for our climb. She wants us to do this.
“She is really strong and behind all the lads.
“I couldn’t think of a better cause.
“We experienced the struggle to arrange transportation to transfer a child from one hospital to another. There is only one transport pod for the whole region. We want to buy one for Whiston.”
Jason is mounting the 10-day expedition with his brother, Keith, aged 38, and four friends.
He said: “It is pretty dangerous but I don’t think we’ll have any problems with fitness. We have done a lot of difficult challenges, including the Three Peaks.
“It’s altitude sickness that is the worry.”
They raised £13,500 at a charity night in Stobart Stadium.
To sponsor Jason visit www.justgiving.com/alfie-flynn-mullen