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Newbury-Ludlow (and home!) 12 hr challenge on 10/07/2010

Please, please, please can I ask you all for your support for something that really is very important - I do hope that you can all help.

My friends and I are doing a 12 hour treadmill, rower and cycle challenge on July 10th, covering a total distance of 380km (distance from Newbury to Ludlow and then back home safely!) to raise money for MARS (Mercia Accident Rescue Service) who treated a friend of mine and her three friends after their terrible accident in November 2008 and who saved Jo's life at the scene (seen above now fully recovered quaffing champagne!). 

MARS is a rapid response charity, made up of a very experienced volunteer team of doctors, who are specifically trained in major trauma, they perform pre hospital emergency care and surgery for people who need immediate and often life-saving care at the scene of an accident.

 

Jo's Story

On November 28th 2008, Jo and three of her best friends Clare, Fiona & Michelle went on their annual girls weekend away. This year their trip took them to Ludlow to see the Christmas market. They arrived early afternoon and spent the next couple of hours looking around the town. Just after 5pm, they were heading back to where they were staying when Clare shouted 'watch the bus', it all happened very quickly and before Jo knew it the bus had mounted the pavement and had ploughed into them. Michelle suffered a dislocated knee, both Fiona & Clare were bruised and battered, and Jo had taken the full impact of the bus. Jo sustained life-threatening chest, pelvic and back injuries, as well as breaking five ribs and damaging the ligaments in her right leg.

First on the scene were the amazing fire crew, who looked after them so well, and then Dr Malcolm Russell from MARS arrived, along with the paramedics. Malcolm undertook a procedure at the scene where he put a pelvic belt on Jo to try and manage the internal bleeding, basically her pelvis was fractured and had sprung open, like a book. By doing this at the scene it effectively saved her life. She evenutally arrived at Shrewsbury Hospital around 10pm and had emergency surgery through the night.

Jo was in hospital from 28th November 2008 and came home mid January 2009. Everyone involved in her care has been absolutely amazing, the fire crew, the paramedics, the nurses and doctors at both Shrewsbury and Oxford, physio's, personal trainers, key workers and of course her family and my friends, but without MARS and particularly Malcolm Russell, Jo wouldn't be here today.

So, this is why we're organising this challenge to try and raise as much money for this wonderful charity, enabling them to carry on with their work. One day someone you love might need their help, so please give what you can.  

 

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