While most dads were unwrapping socks and sipping tea in bed… Chris Kearey was falling 15,000 feet from the sky.
Why? For his daughter, Mabel — and for the incredible NHS staff who’ve supported her every step of the way.
“We had never imagined our little girl would spend so much of her life in hospital…”
When Mabel Kearey was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in April 2022, her parents, Christopher and Hayley, were filled with hope for the future. But just days after her birth, Mabel was admitted to Buscot Ward. By the time she was three months old, she had been diagnosed with Dysphagia—a condition that makes swallowing extremely difficult.
It was the beginning of a long, emotional journey for the Kearey family.
From July through the rest of 2022, Mabel was transferred between Lion and Dolphin Wards, undergoing countless tests for everything imaginable: chronic constipation, global developmental delays, feeding challenges and more. She wasn’t thriving, and the answers didn’t come quickly. At just five months old, she underwent two exploratory surgeries at John Radcliffe Hospital.
October 2022 was the first time she came home to her older sister since she was a newborn. But even that milestone was fleeting. By Halloween, she was back in hospital—and remained there until late November.
“Most of our family met Mabel for the first time on the ward,” Hayley shares. “She’s spent more time there than anywhere else.”
For nearly three years, Mabel has relied on a nasal gastric tube to stay nourished and hydrated. She’s had to grow up around wires and monitors, medicine schedules and hospital walls. And her parents have had to become experts in calm under pressure, surviving sleepless nights, medical jargon, and the aching uncertainty that comes with each new hospital admission.
“There were nights I sat crying, scared out of my mind. And a nurse—always a nurse—would just sit beside me, hug me at 3 a.m. and help me feel less alone,” says Hayley. “They are worth their weight in gold.”
One nurse in particular, Sonia, became a constant. “She’s seen me at my absolute worst,” Hayley recalls. “She never judged—just listened.”
Now, the Keareys want to say thank you.
On June 13th, 2025, Chris (Mabel’s dad) and his brother Nick (Mabel’s uncle) took to the skies for a 15,000-foot skydive, raising funds for Lion and Dolphin Wards through Royal Berks Charity. Their target is £1,000—and they’re diving headfirst into this challenge despite their own fears.
“Nick is terrified of heights,” Hayley laughs. “But this is so much bigger than that. This is about giving back to the hospital that held our family together. It’s about doing something real.”
“This fundraiser means everything to us,” says Hayley. “We’re doing this for every parent who has had to hand their baby over to a doctor and hope for the best. For every nurse who’s wiped away tears. For the hospital that gave Mabel—and us—hope when we needed it most.”
And they’re not stopping here. The Keareys are passionate about helping raise awareness for children like Mabel, and the incredible work being done every day behind the scenes by Royal Berks staff.
Want to support Chris and Nick’s skydive for Mabel? Visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/hayley-kearey-1 to make a contribution and help them soar past their fundraising target.
Every penny goes towards supporting care on Lion and Dolphin Ward—where brave little ones like Mabel begin their stories.
