A SIX-YEAR-OLD from Taunton is taking on a big challenge for charity.

Mila Pearce has decided to swim a kilometre for a vital piece of hospital that has improved the quality of her sisters life.

When her sister, Gigi, was born, she became stuck during the delivery at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. This meant she lost oxygen and when she was born, she had to use a jacket that cooled down her body temperature.

Paul Pearce, dad to the two girls, said: "Gigi had six seizures but they managed to stabilize her and took her to a hospital in Bristol, where she was in a coma for three days.

“Because of the jacket, we have seen a massive difference in Gigi – the only thing she is not doing is walking unaided.”

A cooling jacket means a baby is cooled to 33.5 degrees for a period of time, and then rewarmed to a normal temperature. This improves their quality of life.

Somerset County Gazette: Mila, Gigi and their dad, Paul.

Mila decided to complete the swim so she could raise money for more jackets and another machine, so Musgrove can provide care to more than one baby at a time.

She said she goes swimming every week and does not find it as tiring as running or other exercises.

“I am really excited about the swim," she said.

"I think that if I had done it and raised money, I could never keep it for myself, I would always give it to charity.”

Somerset County Gazette: Mila, who is planning to swim a kilometre for charity.

A spokesperson for the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Musgrove Park Hospital, said the device itself costs around £14,000, and the jackets (they use a new one for each baby) cost around £100 each.

"We want to thank Mila and her dad Paul for such a brilliant fundraiser," the spokesperson added.

"Therapeutic hypothermia or ‘cooling’ is a treatment used on the Neonatal Unit to care for babies who are in a less good condition at birth than we would expect.

"Babies are cooled to 33.5 degrees for a period of time using a Cooling Device attached to a jacket, which is wrapped around the baby. They are then rewarmed to a normal body temperature.

"This improves the outcome and quality of life for these little ones."

To donate to Mila's fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mila-pearce.