Firstly I wish to thank you for visiting my JustGiving page, it really does mean a lot to me and family. I ask you to consider donating towards the running challenge I will be undertaking throughout 2014, anything you donate will be specifically going to York Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

So why am I running throughout 2014 for York ICU? On December 26th 2013 my fathers life changed forever, so unexpectedly. Not only his own life, but my own and my entire family's had to adjust to what happened. My father James suffered a complete interuption on his spinal cord through 2 fractures on his C1 vertebrate and had a cardiac arrest as a result, he wasn't breathing for 12 minutes and only survived due to the quick response by a paramedic who was able to perform CPR and revive him. This period of having a complete interuption however, didn't come without consequences. We were told my father would never be able to breathe again without aid of a ventilator and would be unable to move from his neck down. One of the doctors told us that in his 35 years in the profession he had never seen such an unusual injury and without the quick response would be a fatal accident.

Since Boxing Day my father has been cared for in the unit and has been able to take some breaths himself which has been incredible! Any positive we can take from the situation is a big step for us all. 

As my father has been in York ICU since Boxing Day 2013 and with him being there for the unforeseeable future, it has made me want to donate to the unit. Since my Dad was admitted to York ICU I cannot express my gratitude towards the staff, every single one I have interacted with have gone above and beyond in the care my Dad is having but also the way in which they have been with me and my family. I see each and every one of them as friends who always take the time to acknowledge I am visiting and say hello despite maybe not being stationed at my Dad’s bed for that shift. With this in mind and with the costs involved with caring for patients like my Dad I wish to raise money throughout 2014 from the races I run and pledge to donate the grand total of this specifically to York ICU. This would mean they would get the choice on what this money is spent on and what is important to the unit.

I will be running a number of races throughout the year, these are as follows:

• Brass Monkey Half Marathon - Sunday 19th January 2014 COMPLETED
  
• Liverpool Half Marathon - Sunday 23rd March 2014 COMPLETED
• Leeds Half Marathon - Sunday 11th May 2014 COMPLETED
  
• Humber Bridge Half Marathon - Sunday 29th June 2014 COMPLETED
  
• York 10k - Sunday 3rd August 2014 COMPLETED
  
• Great North Run – Sunday 7th September 2014 COMPLETED
  
• The Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon - Sunday 12th October 2014 COMPLETED
  

I will also be booking others to fill the year! All I ask is you donate to this cause, these runs will be hard, rewarding and will help the ward greatly. Thank you once again for looking at my page and donating, it means a lot to me and my Dad.