TWO Cardenden youngsters and their fellow swimming club members covered over 50km when they took part in a special 'Dive for Daniel' sponsored swim this week.

Katie, 7, and Olivia Docherty, 5, had organised the event with mum Ruth and dad Gary to raise money for CDH UK.

As reported previously in the Times, the family were left stunned when their excitement at the prospect of a new baby's arrival turned to heartbreak.

Their little boy, who is due in September, has a serious diaphragm condition which allows the intestines that should be below the diaphragm to slip up into the chest area and compromise the growth of the lungs.

Since receiving the news, the family have received considerable help from the CDH UK charity and decided they wanted to give something back.

Around 20 swimmers took to Bowhill Swimming Pool on Monday evening with the aim of swimming a combined 37 kilometres which is the length of Loch Ness and raise at least £500.

Ruth, of Derran Drive, was delighted with how the event went.

"They totally smashed it," she said. "They swam just over 52 kilometres and they all were amazing. Our fundraising target was £500 and we are now at £1600 and there's still a bit of money to come in.

"It is amazing. We did it as a distraction and something to focus on and we have raised so much money and everyone has come behind us and got on board.

"Raising awareness has also been one of the biggest things. So many people now know about the condition."

Childminder Ruth will have to travel to the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to have Daniel who will face major surgery in his first few weeks.

If surgery is successful, Ruth is aware her baby boy will face a series of health challenges.

"It is becoming terrifying what we are going to be faced with," she said. "We don't know what the outcome is going to be. We are aware of what is ahead of us but we don't know what is going to happen."

Anyone wanting to add to the Dive for Daniel fundraising total can do so by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ruth-docherty.