BLACKPOOL Victoria Hospital's Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) has been given thousands of pounds by a Royal Air Force rock band as a thank you for saving a little girl's life.

Emily Cowell, now a healthy two-year-old, weighed just 21b 2oz when she was born prematurely at the Vic in September 2000.

But with the care and dedication of staff, mum Nicky and little Emily -- nick-named "the sugar bag baby" -- made a good recovery.

And when Emily's father Sergeant Jon Cowell, bass guitar player with the RAF band, told his fellow musicians what had happened they decided to donate money raised at their gigs, a staggering £4750, to the SCBU.

Jon, an RAF Policeman in the specialist field of counter intelligence, was posted to the Falkland Islands one year after Emily was born, and the fund-raising began.

"Whilst there I was lucky enough to join a rock and roll band which consisted of four RAF guys and two civilian contractors," he said.

"From our first meeting, it became clear that we all wanted any proceeds generated from our efforts to go to charity. Over a pint I told everyone Emily's story. The guys readily agreed to adopt Blackpool SCBU as our chosen charity and the rest, as they say, is history."

After 14 gigs in the Falklands -- including one for just 17 people at a remote radar mountain site -- the group had raised £5000.

They donated £250 of it to the Falklands' Mount Pleasant Airfield music club which had loaned them a PA system and other equipment, and the rest to the SCBU.

"The whole experience for me will remain unforgettable. I have enjoyed entertaining a lot of people, raised a lot of money for an excellent cause and had the privilege of playing music with five outstanding musicians who I now count as friends," Jon said.

"Although most of the guys are involved in bands in their own areas, we have pledged to play again together whenever we can make it happen."

Emily was born on September 6, 2000, after Nicky started with contractions whilst on holiday with Jon in Blackpool, just 25 weeks into her pregnancy.

Jon said they were "very distressed". They had been trying for a baby for five years, and Nicky had already suffered three late-term spontaneous abortions due to a rare medical condition.

"The staff were excellent from the start, as Nicky and I were obviously very distressed by this time given our previous tragic experiences."

But he was full of praise for the SCBU unit staff, including once consultant who stayed on to help with the birth even though he should have gone home at 8am that morning after being on duty all night.

"I found this selfless attitude typical of the all the SCBU staff over the five weeks we stayed with them," Jon said.

Eventually Emily was well enough to transfer nearer home to the QEII Hospital, Welwyn Garden City finally leaving hospital on December 6.

"Leaving Blackpool SCBU for the last time was a real emotional wrench, as Nicky and I both felt that no words could ever express the thanks we felt were owed to so many people," Jon added.