Llanelli to London: Family raises £20k for hospital staff that saved newborn’s life

A Llanelli family has raised over £20,000 with a fundraising walk for medical staff who saved the life of their newborn baby.

Theo Kiley arrived in Singleton Hospital on 21 June 2024. However, he started displaying breathing problems and other complications, which saw him transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

At one point Theo’s outlook was so bleak that his parents, Lauren and Alex Kiley from Hendy, began discussing putting a memory box together.

However, Theo proved to be a fighter and with the aid of the hospital’s “remarkable” staff he turned a corner and was deemed stable enough to be airlifted to Great Ormond Street Hospital for specialist treatment.

Theo responded well and after 11 days at the London-based children’s hospital, he was transferred back to Singleton and was later discharged.

Give back 

Unable to forget the dedication of the staff who treated Theo, dad Alex vowed to walk between the two hospitals in order to raise money for their respective services, bringing in £23,876 in the process.

He said: “Upon returning home, I knew I had to give something back to both hospitals whose extraordinary care ultimately saved our little boy.

“As someone passionate about fitness and healthy living, I decided to take on a challenge that had never been attempted before: walking from Swansea to London. The total distance was 192 miles, and we walked every single step. It took a full year of planning and preparation to make it possible.

“A close friend of my dad, an experienced walker called Gavin Coley, agreed to join me, and together we committed to months of training. Weekends and even some weeknights were spent walking for hours at a time.”

Encouragement

The challenge became a family affair with Theo’s grandad, Paul Kiley, joining in.

Alex said: “My dad trained alongside us and ultimately completed the entire 192-mile journey too—at the remarkable age of 72. Sharing this challenge with him is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

“The walk itself took place during my six-week summer break from my role as a primary school teacher. We set off at 12am on a Sunday morning in July and walked for 17 hours on the first day, reaching Cardiff late that evening.

“Throughout the journey we were supported by our dedicated support vehicle, driven by my father-in-law, Phil Craven, and close family friend, Stuart Button. Their presence and encouragement were invaluable.

“We continued walking for another five days, finally arriving at Great Ormond Street Hospital on Friday afternoon—tired, emotional, but incredibly proud.”

‘Skill, compassion and dedication’

The wider family and their friends joined in the fundraising efforts.

Alex said: “As we prepared, we formed a small committee and began exploring additional ways to raise money. Gavin, who joined me on the walk, is a keen music lover and took the lead in organising a local concert to launch our challenge. Local musicians performed throughout the day, all giving their time free of charge, and the event—held in May 2025—was an incredible day of continuous entertainment.

“I then organised a charity golf day with the support of a friend and sponsor of the challenge. Held at Morriston Golf Club, it brought together 200 golfers in a fantastic day of fundraising and community spirit.

“To round off a year of fundraising, I organised a final charity evening in November 2025 at the Swansea Marriott Hotel, attended by 200 guests. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate everything we had achieved together.”

‘Beyond imagination’

When the family visited Singleton Hospital recently to hand over a cheque to Swansea Bay Health Charity Alex took the opportunity to thank staff, at both hospitals, once again for their efforts.

He said: “The skill, compassion, and dedication shown by the staff at both hospitals were extraordinary. Without the care Theo received at Singleton, our story could have been very different—and I am almost certain I would not be here writing this today.

“The treatment and support at GOSH were exceptional, reinforcing why it is regarded as one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals.”

NICU Consultant, Dr Sreedhara Nittur, said: “Alex with his family and friends, greatly supported by Lauren, have walked an incredible journey of 192 miles from Swansea to GOSH in London to raise money for a noble cause of betterment of both Neonatal Units here at Swansea and in GOSH at London who have cared for Theo.

“In my view what they have achieved is something beyond imagination. This incredible achievement is something to be proud of, and it stands as a lasting example of dedication for everyone. Family have managed to raise an enormous amount of money which has been shared between the two neonatal units.

“We as a team are extremely grateful and sincerely thank for this generosity from the family. I wish Theo and his family all the best for future.”

Cathy Stevens, Community Support Charity Officer, said: “We are so grateful to Alex, Lauren and their family and friends for their incredible fundraising.

“Their strength and generosity after such a difficult experience is truly inspiring. The funds they’ve raised will make a real difference to our neonatal unit and the babies and families we care for.

“Thank you for turning such a challenging journey into something so positive — we are deeply appreciative of your support.”