A Westbury family have conquered mountains to thank the hospital that saved their youngest child’s life.

Phillip and Karen Muchamore-Knight, along with 10-year-old son Joshua and one-year-old Archie, took on the Three Peaks Challenge of climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in three days to raise funds for the charity Cots for Tots, which is aiming to raise £1m to provide four more beds at St Michael’s hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Dad Phillip first decided to tackle the challenge with another group of people but, after the others dropped out, son Joshua and mum Karen decided to join him to scale the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Mount Snowdon.

Mrs Muchamore-Knight said: “My husband did a few walks beforehand to train but I didn’t do any training at all.

“I managed to finish two-and-three-quarters of the mountains, carrying Archie on my back, but I couldn’t complete Ben Nevis because I have a bad back. My husband and my son climbed all three, which was amazing.

“The thing that kept us going was that we have been given the gift of Archie.

“When he was born, he developed an infection and had to transferred to St Michael’s hospital in Bristol. At one point the doctors took us in to a side room and told us we might lose him.

“Thanks to the doctors and the new technology at the hospital, he began to improve after nine days. Now he’s fit and well, all thanks to the hospital.

“What we’ve done is nothing compared to what they did for us, and we can never thank them enough.”

Ten year old Joshua, who goes to Westbury CofE Junior School, said: “It was very tiring and it was very hard but I enjoyed it.

“I think my mum was very proud of herself when she climbed Mount Snowdon with Archie on her back and so was my dad.

“Archie was asleep for most of it. I want to climb Mount Everest and Mount Kilimanjaro in the future.”

Proud grandfather Gordon Muchamore said: “We were very impressed when they told us that they were going to do it, especially young Joshua.

“We thought that they were going to do it as part of a group, but they decided that they would do all of the driving themselves so that all of the money raised would go towards the charity. It took real dedication and we are very proud of them.”

The family have so far raised £1,800. To sponsor the family, visit www.justgiving.com/ Philip-Muchamore-Knight.

To find out more about the charity, go to www.cotsfortots.

org.uk.