A BIKE RIDE IN MEMORY OF HARLEY AND CHLOE

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

A few months ago, we (Paul, Andy, Craig, Matt and Adam) were touched by the story of Harley, the late son of our long-time mutual friend Kelly and Chloe, the cousin of Paul.

HARLEY

Harley was diagnosed with asthma at age 2. He suffered from allergies and eczema as a child and was in and out of the hospital at a young age. When Kelly's son died, she didn't just lose a child—she lost a friend. Harley was her son, but he was also her best friend. 

He had eczema and asthma as a child, but it didn't get in the way of his love for his friends or his ability to make them laugh. He loved football, but above all else, he loved riding his bike.

It was a normal day for Harley. He'd just finished his lunch at Merryhill, and he was on his way back to his friend's car when he started feeling unwell. He pulled out his ventolin blue inhaler and took several puffs before sitting in the passenger seat.

His friends were concerned about him, so they called an ambulance and waited for the paramedics to arrive. But it was too late—by the time they got there, Harley had gone into cardiac arrest and died for 38 minutes. 

This caused hypoxia (oxygen starvation), which caused him to be brain dead as, after 4 minutes without oxygen, your brain starts to die. The paramedics took him to Russells Hall Hospital, where they looked after him until his life peacefully ended on 18 February 2022.

CHLOE

When Chloe was 19, she loved to be out and about with her friends. She always had to look her best with her lashes and tan. She was very hard-working and dedicated in all that she did. Chloe always knew what she wanted: to become an air hostess. 

She achieved her goal in August 2022 when she received her wings with British Airways. Chloe was over the moon!

Tragically, on Friday, 2nd December 2022, Chloe's life was taken far too soon when travelling on the M6 motorway to a music concert. Traffic had come to a standstill when unfortunately, the driver of a large vehicle travelling behind failed to stop in time and ploughed into the car Chloe was travelling in. She was cut from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital by ambulance. The hospital did everything possible for her but sadly passed away that evening.

Harley and Chloe’s death were a huge blow to everyone who knew them—their parents, friends included—and it wasn't until a few months later that their families felt ready to talk about their passing with anyone other than family members and close friends.

Then something strange happened. Someone came up with an idea for a fundraising bike ride in their memory! The idea will give people across the UK an opportunity to celebrate this amazing young people’s life by raising money for a charity that is doing amazing work for people with acquired brain injury.

THE CHALLENGE

We are planning a 1050 miles bike ride in 12 days in their honour. This will commence from the 28^th of April to the 9^th of May, 2023. 

This will take us from Lands’ End to John O Groats, averaging 90 miles per day. We hope to raise £4000 to support this amazing cause.

ABOUT THE CHARITY WE ARE SUPPORTING

Headway Black Country is a premier provider of specialist support for people who have suffered from acquired brain injury or stroke. 

As a charity, they have been providing exceptional services to the four boroughs of the Black Country since 1997 and, as a result, have helped hundreds of people get back on their feet after suffering from brain injury. 

Its mission is to give people with brain injuries the tools they need to return to the community and live fulfilling lives.