<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am running the Cardiff Half Marathon later this month and would really appreciate your support in raising funds for the <strong>Artificial Limb and Appliance Service for Wales, </strong>based at <strong>Rookwood Hospital </strong>in Cardiff.(ULHB Fund No. 9803).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rookwood treats over 65,000 people each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>Patients need specialist facilities such as workshops, cad cam equipment, casting rooms, physiotherapy gym, and walking training facilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The dedicated staff at Rookwood support people who have lost limbs, eyes and those whose mobility has been affected through trauma, birth injuries and illness, many of whom are profoundly affected by their disability. All ages from babies to elderly people and ex servicemen are treated, many of whom attend throughout their lives. The relationship Rookwood staff have with many of their clients is very special for this reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sadly my dad passed away last year<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>- three years earlier, at the age of 83, he had his left leg amputated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>The care and support the staff at Rookwood gave Dad was quite simply fantastic. They taught him to walk again and continued to look after him with regular check ups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>I was amazed that Dad had the determination and zest for life to overcome this hurdle at such a late stage in his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>He never gave up and this has been my motivation on my training runs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everywhere needs funds these days,&nbsp;but if you could spare a few pounds for the valuable work undertaken by the dedicated staff at Rookwood I would be very grateful.</span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p>