Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As I am sure many of you already know that in May this year (2020) I suffered major heart complications immediately following a routine heart operation in Harefield Hospital with consequential multi-organ failure leading to a medically induced coma and an extended stay in Intensive Care.

While in ICU the amazing team of doctors and nurses cared for my heart, lungs, kidney and liver issues with ventilators and dialysis but most fortunate of all they had the expertise to insert an Impella device into my heart. Impella is the world’s smallest heart pump, inserted via a catheter, and provides short-term mechanical ventricular support. 

I was in the right place at the right time.

The experts tell me that my journey was a bit of a rollercoaster and that there were times when it was touch and go if I would make it. However, thanks to the involvement of so much technical equipment and skilled expertise, coupled with the tremendous emotional support from my family and friends, I survived. Words are inadequate to express my gratitude to everyone.

I spent a total of 11 weeks in hospital with my last few in the wonderful team in the Rehabilitation Unit at Charing Cross Hospital who guided me to start to regain the considerable weight and muscle I had lost in ICU and to learn to walk again. Thankfully I have been home since mid-August and am making good progress.

None of this featured in my New Year wish list for 2020 but it happened and thankfully with determination and a positive attitude I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

I cannot repeat often enough how much I owe to the  NHS teams who looked after me and so I plan to raise money to support the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital charity which supports patients at the hospitals by providing state-of-the-art-equipment (such as Impella and ECMO units), new facilities, innovative treatment and funding cutting-edge research. (rbhcharity.org)

ACTIVITIES

I will be participating in various fund-raising events over the next 6-12 months - the first is set out below. I will post more details of other challenges when plans are firm - for now I can say they will involve challenging me to do stuff I have not done before !

Challenge 1-the walk.

My goal is to walk, over a continuous 4 day period before Easter (most likely 26-29 March 2021), a distance of 35 miles (56 kms) on various routes along and around the River Thames in London. 

You may ask why walking? For far too long this year illness and muscle loss meant I could not walk and starting to do it again has taken time and great effort. Since I have been home (14th August when I could barely make a short walk to my kitchen) I have made decent progress recently managing my daily best of one mile (1.6 km) and I feel now is the right time to set myself the ultimate challenge - hopefully training over the coming months will get me there. 

Your sponsorship will not only support a great cause but serves to encourage me to battle my way through the essential preparation over winter and you never know it could even work to entice some of my family to walk with me !  The clock is ticking and serious training has started.

PLEASE any donation of whatever amount will be gratefully received; no amount is too small. Feel free to  share this page with all your friends, family and on your social media channels. 

THANK YOU.

EUGENE

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