This will help ensure The Myton Hospices can continue to provide its services free of charge to people with a terminal or life limiting illness, and their families, when they need us most.

This will help ensure The Myton Hospices can continue to provide its services free of charge to people with a terminal or life limiting illness, and their families, when they need us most.

We hope the fundraising story of James uncle, Dan McHugh, will inspire you in your Firewalk challenge and on the fundraising trail too.

In 2019, following diagnosis for a terminal brain tumour, Dans nephew, James McHugh, spent 11 weeks at Coventry Myton Hospice. During his brave fight, James received fantastic care, love and support from the Myton staff for whom nothing was too much.

It was this amazing support received by James and his family that inspired 59-year-old Dan to hit the fundraising trail in Jamess memory and to say thank you.

During his stay at Myton, Jamess condition improved enough for the Myton team and his family to arrange a surprise 30th birthday party for him at the hospice, surrounded by his family and friends.

Following a long battle with a brain tumour, James died in July 2019, aged just 30.

Dan had planned to fundraise along with Jamess dad, Con, to self-fund the Inca Trail challenge that Myton had organised. Unfortunately, Covid put paid to these plans for the year so he decided to come up with his own challenge to make sure Myton didnt lose out at a time it so desperately needed financial support.

Coincidentally, the company that Dan works for in Warwick (Accenture), had chosen Myton for its charity that year so he had great support from his work colleagues also.

Dan said:

Dan decided he would row 100km (62 miles) in a day for the cause on a concept2 rowing machine. These are indoor training machines used by Olympic standard rowers. Already a keen rower, Dan has completed a number of Marathons on his indoor rowing machine, however nothing like the 100km he now set himself!

Months of hard training ensued and when the day finally arrived Friday, November 27, Dan absolutely smashed it in Jamess memory, completing the arduous 100k in under eight hours!

And the reward for his efforts?

Dan raised an amazing £7,210 (£8,670 including Gift Aid) - thanks to the amazing support of friends, family and work colleagues. I was absolutely blown away by peoples generosity from people I know and from others I really didnt, such as some of the amazing Accenture employees who gave so generously, added Dan.

The stunning amount raised is a fitting tribute to James and to the amazing nurses and staff at The Myton Hospices, who made every moment of Jamess stay so much better for him, for the family and for his friends. Seeing them in action first-hand is eye-opening. They are truly remarkable. Not only providing amazing medical care, but also doing it with a smile on their faces and giving such warmth and care to everyone involved.

Every penny you raise in sponsorship will help to ensure we can support more people like James and his family when they need us most.