The first seven weeks were “scary” for Sarah Sheridan — who spent the time in hospital while tiny Orlando lay hooked up to machines and had his weight closely monitored.

“It was a scary time, because the survival rate in the early stages is quite low,” she said yesterday.

The ordeal prompted Mrs Sheridan to do something to help other families who find themselves in the same predicament.

She rallied her friends and family to take part in a walk for Life’s Little Treasures, a foundation raising money to support the families of premature and sick babies.

Walks have been staged across Australia for four years.

“I wanted to organise a walk at home,” Mrs Sheridan said of the walk from Willow Park to Sumsion Gardens.

Sarah and her husband Ty were already busy with Boston, 4, when Orlando arrived at 30 weeks.

“From Wodonga, I was flown to Melbourne’s Mercy Hospital for Women to have him,” Mrs Sheridan said.

Orlando weighed just 1600 grams at birth and was 42 centimetres long.

“All up, we spent seven weeks in hospital — five of those back in Wodonga.

“It was very tough for our family.

“Like a lot of experiences in life, you don’t actually know how hard it is until you have experienced it yourself.

“This is why I feel very strongly about getting awareness for this fantastic foundation.”

Mrs Sheridan said Orlando, who was born in January and is now nine months old — but has a corrected age of six months — is still on the small size.

“He still is kind of small but they catch up between the ages of two and seven,” she said.

The family, who raised $660, aim to make the Wodonga walk an annual event.

To donate to Sarah’s cause, visit lifeslittletreasures.org.au.