A father is to spend five days alone trekking across an ancient footpath as part of a fundraising effort for a hospital unit.

Ant Mattock, 38, of Heathcote Grove in Chingford, will be walking the 93 miles of Norfolk's Peddars Way on August 25 for Whipps Cross Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).

Mr Mattock's four year-old son George was born in November 2009 at the Leytonstone hospital with jaundice and a partially collapsed lung.

"We had him for two minutes and then he was taken away, put in an incubator and wired up," he said.

"He received around the clock care for over a week and half.

"If it wasn't for the excellent care, he probably wouldn't be here today."

Mr Mattock decided to take on 150km walk with just his backpack as a way of "giving something back".

"I have never done anything like this before and it will be the first time I've done a long distance walk," he added.

"The unit does such a fantastic job for families and babies so it was about time I do something to give back and I feel fit enough," added Mr Mattock.

The money raised will be donated to the Ickle Pickles Partnership, a charity raising awareness of neonatal care. All the funds will then be donated to the SCBU unit at Whipps Cross.

Mr Mattock has an 'open-ended' fundraising target and has so far raised £163.

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