A courageous nurse went above and beyond for her tiny patients last weekend as she abseiled down the side of Millennium Point, raising more than £530 for Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity.

Jenny Bradford, from Birmingham, has been a neonatal nurse for almost 16 years, spending the last four years working on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.

Jenny said: “Every single baby we treat is different, from those who have been born as prematurely as 22 weeks to babies born at full term with congenital conditions. It’s our job to make sure they receive the specialist treatment to get them to the point where they’re well enough to go home but also to support our parents through what can be such a distressing time.”

While she knows the treatment they are receiving is second-to-none, Jenny has seen first-hand how charitable donations and fundraising have helped the unit provide the best possible experience, not only for its little patients but for their families and staff too. Whether through funding new equipment such as incubators or making improvements to the hospital environment and making the ward a nicer place to spend time, it was this that made Jenny determined to do even more for her patients, and raise money for the ward.

Forty-year-old Jenny knew she wanted to do something adventurous for the cause so close to her heart and after seeing her 11 year-old daughter, Izzy, take on an abseil with her Brownies unit, she decided she could do the same, even though her own medical history would mean it really would be a tough challenge. Jenny has had more than 40 operations in her lifetime, including hip and knee replacements and a pacemaker, but she didn’t let that stop her as she harnessed up to take the plunge. Her daughter Izzy, who also took on the abseil, was there to cheer her on and make sure she went through with it!

Commenting on the exhilarating experience, Jenny said: “I’m so proud of myself and Izzy for going through with the abseil considering how nervous we both were on the day! Going over the edge was absolutely terrifying but we just kept reminding ourselves of why we were doing it and I’m so pleased we did.”

Miranda Williams, Public Fundraising Manager at Birmingham Women’s Hospital Charity, said: “Jenny already does such an amazing job providing specialist care to the babies and families at our hospital, but to literally go above and beyond to do even more really is so incredible and we’re so proud of her and Izzy! As Jenny intended, the money raised will go to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to help us do more for our babies and families.”