Why are the Stroke Therapy Team completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks in September 2023?

At the end of 2022, a patient who had experienced a stroke and was on West Raynham Stroke Unit with us noted how many members of the therapy team it took (3 or 4) to help him practice walking, when he was just starting to get on his feet again. This gentleman was keen to make a donation towards specialist equipment that would reduce the number of therapists required for what we call ‘gait re-education’.

At the same time, the stroke therapists were looking for a challenge themselves and around 10 members of the team have agreed to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to fundraise for The 'Friends of the Stroke Unit' Charitable fund 42775 to enable the purchase of this specialist piece of equipment.

This equipment is an adult partial weight bearing device. One example of this is called the LiteGait, which can be used over a treadmill, or over ground, to assist with walking after a stroke. Usually, the specialist stroke therapists support the patients’ body to move after a stroke, but the unique harness offered by the LiteGait will result in patients being able to practice walking with less therapists being present.

The team are undertaking practise walks prior to the challenge on 23rd September, when they will look to cover the 24 miles in 12 hours.

‘I have only worked with the Stroke Rehab team for 18 months and I have been impressed with how dedicated the staff on the Stroke Unit are to optimising patients’ recovery. This piece of equipment will give more opportunities for therapy to patients needing gait re-education and increase the scope for positive outcomes. On a personal level, I wanted to take on a challenge and cannot think of a team of people that I would rather do it with.’ – Rhiannon Lee, Therapy Assistant