TWO local businessmen have raised £9,000 for Warrington Hospital Children’s Ward after a year of endurance challenges.
Daresbury businessmen David Coleiro, 37, and Michael White, 35, decided to push their bodies to the limit in 2009. They took part in 12 challenges over 12 months, which became known as the 12 for 12 adventure.
Challenges involved endurance, running, hiking and adventures throughout the country. Their challenges included the Three Peaks Challenge, the West Highland Way – a 96-mile hike in Scotland – and white water rafting in Wales. They also completed a 95-mile bike ride and ended the year with a six-hour football marathon.
Michael said: “Anyone who has experienced having a sick child in hospital will know that it is a harrowing time. I have gone through this with both my children. My son Ben had a medical condition when he was first born that meant he had recurrent Urinary Tract Infections.
“I will never forget having to hold him in my hands bent double, when he was five weeks old, as a doctor performed a lumbar puncture to rule out meningitis.”
His daughter was six weeks old when she was admitted with what was believed to be a viral infection.
He said: “I remember her lying in the cot with a fluid drip in her arm and leads from all sorts of devices attached to her. She looked so small and so helpless and for days she was so ill she was completely unresponsive to anything around her.”
He took part in the challenges as a thank you to staff and to help parents of young children who were going through similar experiences.
Children’s matron Jane Scott said: “This is an amazing feat by David and Michael and we are very grateful for considering the Children’s Ward when setting out on this adventure. Kind donations like this allow us to purchase equipment, toys and other items to benefit the children on our ward that budgets do not cover.”
Pictured at the hospital are (left to right) Kath Coleman (play specialist), Andrea Davies (staff nurse), Michael White, David Coleiro, and Jane Scott (children’s matron). Front: Donna Rhodes (ward assistant).
