Our dad has never had an easy path, but over the last decade, his resilience has been tested more than ever.

Living with type 1 diabetes since the age of 15, he’s faced serious complications: losing a leg and most of his other foot, battling infections, and enduring countless hospital stays for other health issues linked to the condition. Through it all, he’s remained strong, determined, and positive - a true fighter who has always given so much to others.

Recently, he was hit with another life-changing challenge: a stroke. Sadly, this was not unrelated to his diabetes — ongoing vascular problems caused by the condition were at the heart of it, making this yet another challenge he has had to face because of his health.

Recovery from a stroke is difficult for anyone; it affects mobility, speech, confidence, and day-to-day independence. But for Dad, who was already living with severe mobility issues, the road to rehabilitation will be even steeper. While in hospital, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) he relies on is stopped. That means the financial support that helps him maintain his independence and quality of life isn’t there when he needs it most. On top of that, stroke recovery often means paying for extra equipment, mobility aids, home adaptations, and therapies — things that aren’t always covered by the NHS.

Our Goal

We’re raising funds to:

How You Can Help

Every donation, no matter the size, will directly support Dad’s recovery. We also welcome anyone who’d like to take part in their own fundraising challenge under the Strides for John banner.

We’ll be running our own events — our Katie is even considering signing up for a long-distance run (something completely unheard of for her!) — to raise money for Dad’s recovery and for Diabetes UK.

21.09.25 Update – Thank You & Next Steps

We are so overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity everyone has shown. Thanks to your donations (including an amazing £591 raised at Col’s memorial charity golf day), we have now passed £1,000!

This means we’ll be able to get Dad a specialist sit/stand chair to support his mobility — something that will make a huge difference day-to-day. We’re also looking into what other equipment or services we can put in place to make his recovery journey a little easier.

Dad is now at Clatterbridge on the rehabilitation ward and, thankfully, things are moving in the right direction. As he spends more time in hospital, we’re seeing first-hand just how stretched and underfunded the NHS can be. Because of this, we’ll also be exploring how to use some of the funds raised to access extra care support, so Dad gets the best possible help.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and supported us so far. Every single message and contribution means the world to us.