Offshore workforce supports Aberdeen neonatal unit…
A charitable donation pledged by the offshore workforce on our North Sea platforms has helped to buy a specialized endoscope for the neonatal unit at Aberdeen’s Baird Family Hospital.
Our U.K. crane and lifting technical authority, Will Talbot, nominated The Archie Foundation following the support he and his wife, Michelle, received after the early arrival of their son, Callum, now aged seven.
“Callum was a miracle baby for us after six years of IVF and a late miscarriage,” said Will. “He was born at 29 weeks and weighed only 3 pounds, but we were just so happy he was finally here.”
Callum spent seven weeks in Aberdeen’s neonatal unit, and the parents’ facilities and free accommodation provided by The Archie Foundation was a huge support for Will and Michelle.
“He was in an incubator in high dependency before being moved to special care once he got stronger. He received amazing care from the staff at the neonatal unit and we really appreciated the support we received, including a night in the parents’ accommodation,” said Will. “When I saw the opportunity to nominate a charity to benefit from the offshore bond committee donation, I wanted to nominate the Archie Foundation, and we are so grateful it was chosen by my offshore colleagues.”
The donation marked the first major gift to Archie in the charity’s 25th anniversary year, and coincidentally, Callum, who inspired the donation, shares the same birthday as the charity.
The funding will pay for a full Storz endoscope kit, which will allow medical staff to monitor and manage babies’ airways and provide the best possible outcome for little ones with breathing difficulties.
Kelly M. Anderson, head of fundraising at The Archie Foundation, said the funding from Apache would make an incredible difference to babies and their families.
“This is a wonderful birthday gift for both Archie and Callum, which is going to make such an impact for babies and families within the neonatal unit. We are extremely grateful to the team at Apache Corporation for choosing Archie to benefit from the proceeds raised by the offshore workforce on Apache’s North Sea platforms,” she said.
“Archie works closely with NHS Grampian to ensure that the Baird Family Hospital will provide world class care and treatment at every point of contact for the babies and families of Aberdeen and north Scotland.
May 2025