Some of you will know that on the 14th August 2022 we lost my dad, Gavan Walker.

I write this now still unsure how we have almost got through the first year without him. I truly thought dad was superman, he did everything for us. I didn't know how to put air in my tyre's until last year when I had to do it myself!

On 27th February 2022 dad went for a routine CT Scan to find out what was causing a shadow on his previous X-Ray, they soon found he had a bleed from his Aorta - Type A Aortic Dissection and was rushed into Walsgrave for Emergency surgery. The 12 hours that night waiting felt like years, but to hear it all went well and he was in recovery was amazing.

It took dad a while to recover from this, and with Covid still around we were only able to visit when he was in intensive care. Once on a normal ward we couldn't visit. Finally though he was allowed home, seeing the strongest man you've ever known become so weak and vulnerable was heart breaking.

But 12 weeks post surgery we celebrated, we felt so grateful that dad had got through this and he was slowly going back to normal - (back to the pub!).

However, in June 2022 dad started to get pains in his chest again, we thought it was because he wasn't moving much but after another CT Scan we heard the dreaded words - it's happened again but this time it was worse, the tear had caused a 7cm aneurysm and they had to get his blood pressure down ASAP. Our worlds crushed, and dad spent 3 weeks in Walsgrave monitoring his blood pressure before he was moved to Queen Elizabeth in Birmingham for 'Elephant Trunk' surgery on his aorta again. The wait for the surgery date was torture, he even escaped home a few times during his stay! 25th July 2022 he finally had this done, again he smashed it and pulled through the other end.

Both times there were complications with Heparin but to see him smiling at us from that hospital bed was the biggest relief.

Finally he came home on the 6th August, I thought my dad was indestructible by this point he had survived two major heart operations I was so proud of him. But then on Sunday 14th August 2022 i got the call from mum, he had a heart attack early in the morning and his heart was too weak to come back and we lost him.

My heart breaks every single day, but when he was in hospital i told him I was going to run a Half Marathon for the Aortic Dissection Charity because their research is amazing, I had no idea what one was until it happened to dad. So after Steve's amazing Marathon run in April and the money we raised I have decided to Run the Rugby Half Marathon on October 1st 2023 and the Half Marathon at Draycote Water on November 18th 2023. CHANGE OF PLAN! - Draycote has been cancelled so my second run is now 29th October for the Coventry Half!

2000 people per year lose their lives from aortic dissection in the UK and I want to be able to help The Aortic Dissection Charitable Trust in some way.

This ones for you Dad, love you always x