The Fan Dance was completed successfully in 4 hours 55 mins. Carrying 50lb over 24 kilometres. It was the hardest thing I've ever done but it was a fantastic experience and very enjoyable.

I am taking part in a charity event to raise money for Alder
Hey Children’s Hospital, Liverpool and will be doing the Pen Y Fan mountain
challenge on June 6th 2015. It is commonly known as the ‘Fan Dance’
and is organised by the Special Forces experience and is one of the SAS (Special Air Service)  routes
used for their selection process. The challenge will involve carrying a minimum
35lb pack and I will complete a 16 mile route over two steep peaks. Pen Y Fan is
the highest mountain in the Brecon Beacons in Wales at a height of 886 metres
and is no easy challenge. I did it when I was in the army in 1992, I was 21
years old then and now about to do the challenge aged 44.

But I have a good reason to do it. I and many of our friends
and work colleagues were very deeply  saddened to learn that one our work friends
lost their new born baby this year, Freddie was just 11 days old. I endeavour to raise as
much money as I can to enable it to be spent on essential medical care for new
born babies.



This is Pete and Sarah’s story:


“Pete, Ruby and I were lucky enough to welcome a healthy
beautiful and perfect baby into the world on 21st December 2014. We named him
Freddie. On Christmas Day when Freddie was 4 days old he became severely ill
with a virus he had picked up within his first days of life.

Freddie was transferred on Christmas Day to Alder Hey
children's hospital in Liverpool. He became so ill so fast and his condition
continued to deteriorate rapidly. On Boxing Day Freddie was placed on an ECMO
machine which was his only chance of getting better.



Freddie had suffered severe damage to his brain and major
organs caused directly by the virus and that he would not survive. Freddie's
brain was so badly damaged by infection that he could not even breathe for
himself.



We had to make the most heart-breaking and earth shattering
decision of our lives and agreed for Freddie's medical support to be withdrawn.
We spent New Year’s Eve as we had every night since Christmas day, at Freddie's
bedside. We sat with Freddie as the New Year began, knowing that he would not
live to see a New Year, that Freddie would die without ever waking up.



On New Year’s day 2015 Pete and I held Freddie in our arms
for the first time since Christmas Day morning. We told him how much we loved
him, we were able to kiss him for the first time in a week and felt the warmth
from his tiny hands as we held them in ours. We knew we had been so lucky to be
blessed with our son but we were heartbroken knowing we were losing him. We
supported him through his final moments of life, hoping that by some miracle
Freddie would amaze us all, wake up, begin to cry and live. But Freddie died in
our arms at 12:54pm on New Year’s day without ever waking up. The Ray of light
that Freddie brought with him into the world vanished with his last heartbeat.
Our baby was gone, but we took comfort knowing he was now at peace, no longer
suffering. He was only 11 days old.”



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