Stour Valley Trek, Suffolk

I shall be walking over sixty miles with my dear Ted, starting at Newmarket and finishing near Manningtree. We're both in our 70s and have several creaking joints between us, so we think it will take about a week to complete, starting on the 8th October.

We want to raise funds for Papworth Hospital as a thank you for the incredible care they provided for my son, Paul. He was watching a football match on the 27th December last year, when he suddenly felt unwell and complained of chest pains. Fortunately, there was a retired paramedic in the crowd who suspected a heart issue and instructed his friends to drive him to nearby Addenbrooke's Hospital. Due to their speedy actions, Paul was seen right away and the amazing staff in A and E very quickly diagnosed an Aortic Dissection or tear.

Paul was immediately transferred next door to Papworth and underwent an eight hour, life saving operation. There were serious complications during surgery, but in the early hours of the following morning we were told he was stable and recovering in the Critical Care Unit.

Paul spent two weeks there, a further week on the ward and was finally allowed home on the 18th January. Due to the incredible care he received at Papworth, the wonderful support of family and friends (especially ‘Team Doris’) and his sheer determination, Paul is now back at work. He is exercising regularly, managing his football teams again and, most importantly, planning this year’s family holiday.

How can a mum thank a hospital for saving her son's life? One way is to raise some money, so I hope you can help. I realise these are tough times financially, but a donation, however small, will help to maintain the amazing work that Papworth is doing. It's a special place, with very special staff and you never know when you might need them.

Thank you

Elaine Pittuck

Royal Papworth Charity exists to support the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital. With increasing pressures on the NHS, the Charity plays a vital role in ensuring that the Hospital continues to provide the highest standards of care by investing in staff development, improving the Hospital environment for our patients and supporting research into new ways of treating heart and lung disease. Our patients, their families and the staff are at the heart of everything we do, this is all made possible by the generosity of our supporters.