Main fundraiser photo

Help for Wessex Neuro!

In November 2014 I was diagnosed with a 4th ventricular ependymoma brain tumour which was removed in the December at Southampton General Hospital. The level of care post-surgery was nothing short of absolutely fantastic from ICU right through to my eventual discharge, as well as the care and support I still receive from them 4 years on.

After my surgery I lost the ability to speak, swallow (so I needed another procedure to allow me to be tube fed), I couldn't breathe well by myself so I needed another operation for a tracheotomy, I had very bad double vision, I had to relearn how to walk again and a host of other symptoms, fortunately, against all odds, all of these symptoms have all but gone thanks to the care I have had. I feel they have gone far beyond what I could have ever expected, as has the final result of my surgery and recovery.

A few photos of my time in hospital can be found here:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vqCiLL3xLLAs36FH1RGvJGQEqjDD5quK

I want to raise money for them so they can keep doing the wonderful job they do!

They are after a new machine which will allow surgeons to better navigate to the specific area of the brain they need to work on. This machine will cost approximately £50,000 and any contribution towards this would be massively appreciated. It will help others who need similar surgery to what I had, and will reduce the likelihood of post-operative complications.

My challenge? Something known as "Everesting". It involves finding a hill, cycling up and down it until you have climbed the elevation gain of Mount Everest, which is 8848m or 29030ft. This is something I am genuinely not sure whether I can do or not....but I like a good challenge! Why choose something like this? Why not! After my surgery it felt like my recovery was going to be like climbing Mount Everest....and I got through that, so let me see if I can cycle the elevation of it.

The date is not 100% confirmed yet, but I am looking some time in March or April 2019 on a Saturday....weather permitting (I don't fancy around 20 hours or whatever in the rain when another day is fine!). The rules at https://everesting.cc say I must do a Strava segment, and this is the hill I shall be doing it on

https://www.strava.com/segments/935024

Yes, that's 102 times up Portsdown Hill....In a day!

Organizer

Ross Fripp
Organizer
Wessex Neurological Centre Trust
 
Registered nonprofit
Donations eligible for Gift Aid.

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily.

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about.

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the  GoFundMe Giving Guarantee.