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My walking challenge
“This May, I conquered a 22.7-mile walk in 9 hours and 48 minutes and took a total of 68,000 steps with just two stops. The sponsored walk was in aid of Leukaemia Care and over £2,000 has been raised so far.
Earlier this year, my stepson Kevin was diagnosed with AML after being taken to A&E with a very bad chest infection. After having some tests, it was found that he had leukaemia. He then had a lot of complications such as going blind in one eye, having fluid around his heart and kidneys and having sepsis three times. The unknown was such a shock. The first day he was taken into hospital, we thought we were losing him as he was that ill. All you can do is take advice from the medical team and luckily they have saved his life.
He has received chemotherapy and most recently a stem cell transplant on Wednesday 19th June, after his brother, Michael, was found to be an exact match. We are all hopeful they get him fit again, but every day has been hard.
The company he works for terminated his employment, so financially it has been tough but we have all pulled together. The village I live in have raised a lot of money for him which has helped to pay his bills. Each and every one of us are dealing with this in different ways and life has been turned upside down as we visit him in hospital regularly. But, fortunately, the companies we work for have been very good and understanding.
Fundraising for Leukaemia Care made sense as we know how help is needed for everyone concerned in someone’s leukaemia journey and many families will benefit from the support. I had not heard of Leukaemia Care before but I am glad I have now. I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who have donated to my challenge, it does mean a lot.
The walk was also major for me personally as over the last year I have lost more than 8 stone in weight. Before this, I was severely asthmatic, to the point where I couldn’t walk upstairs without being out of breath, I was diabetic and I experienced a lot of chronic knee pain. Now, I am no longer asthmatic (the first time since birth and I am now 63), nor diabetic, and my bone pains are far better.
I wanted a challenge that would test myself and to give me some me time and time for thought. I took a week off work to find a window that I could be comfortable with and I jumped on two buses to get to my start destination before completing the walk. I did it solo on an old railway line from Scarborough to Whitby in North Yorkshire, and I am very pleased with myself for achieving what I did (but, I do feel it’s nothing in comparison to what other people do, so I am planning something bigger for next year).”
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