Jessica Oakes

Wall Of China Walk for Alder Hey

Fundraising for Alder Hey Children's Charity
£3,492
raised of £4,000 target
Donations cannot currently be made to this page
Jessica's Wall Of China Walk, 27 September 2014
We raise funds for equipment and services to ensure Alder Hey remains world class.

Story

Well despite having recently been diagnosed with ME and  already having paraesthesia (pins and needles in my whole body) I beat the odds, and although it took me much longer than the others in my group, my whole group were so supportive and really helped me achieve my goal!

To say the challenge was hard would be an understatement! All I can say is imagine walking up and down your stairs for 8 hours continuously, and then you might be close to how I felt, now try adding another 4 days to that...

On one of the days we actually did do 8 hours, and one of the girls logged it in as 17.7km, so that was 17.7km of uneven stairs!!!  (That's just one day of 5....)

Some parts of the wall were virtually non existant and had turned into a pile of rubble, some times we had to avoid the wall and walk along side it and 'mountain climb' our way across! Other parts of the wall were near verticle climbs, with no sides, nothing to hold on to, and an 800 metre drop either side of us! 

Not only was the experience physically exhausting but it was also mentally exhausting! 

At times I experienced fear and was frightened for my life.... 

I have felt fatigue like no other, and have had to slow down and let others go miles ahead of me... But like a slow moving zombie, no matter how fast you run I am still following you behind... Slowly... My determination to succeed was strong and I was not letting it beat me!

 I've felt pain like I've never experienced before and leg cramps that have lasted for hours and not just mere minutes! I have cried out, just like in labour, that I couldn't go on anymore and wanted the pain to stop!!!

I have experienced joy of finally climbing those awful steep bits and hearing my team cheering my name and holding their walking sticks up like a tunnel of honour for me to walk through! (After taking an hour to catch them up!!)

 I have been overwhelmed by the beauty of the view as I paused to try and take it all in, because believe me, the photos I have taken will never do it justice... 

I have survived Big Trevs driving and him showing us all how he's 'king of the road!' (but that's another story!!)

And, lastly, I have felt pride as my name was called, and I was told 'YOU DID IT!' And was handed a medal!

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who has supported and/or sponsored me to do this challenge, it has really meant a lot to us as a family! 

The reason why I did this challenge is written below! :0)

In  March 2012 my son, Aydan, started having infantile spasms, he was rushed to Alder Hey and was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis and West Syndrome. 

Since that diagnosis Aydan has been diagnosed with many types of epilepsy and has been in and out of hospital. 

In Nobember 2012, an hour long grand mal (tonic clonic) led to a respiratory arrest, his heart to stop and both his lungs to collapse.  We were told he wouldn't survive the journey to Alder Hey!! Whilst at Alder Hey they put him on a special machine called an ECMO, which is like a heart and lung bypass, which he remained on for 5 weeks and 4 days! He was on ICU for 11 weeks and finally got to leave hospital after 5 months!

Aydan still to this day fights a daily battle against Tuberous Sclerosis and epilepsy, and if it wasnt't for Alder Hey he wouldn't be here today!

Please help me raise funds for this wonderful hospital and to help raise the £30m they need for their new hospital! 

For more information about Aydan please look here

www.aydanbran.blogspot.com

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About the charity

Alder Hey Children’s Charity raises funds towards the pioneering work at Alder Hey. Your support ensures the 330,000 children we see each year will have access to the best facilities and equipment, and that the benefits of our innovating work are felt by families throughout the world #JoinUsJoinIn

Donation summary

Total raised
£3,492.00
+ £367.15 Gift Aid
Online donations
£3,042.00
Offline donations
£450.00

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