Story
<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p>
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<p>So why donate to Jane Millar? Well I have volunteered for this amazing challenge next May which involves me with 39 others, cycling <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">280 miles</span></strong> in <span style="color: #008000;">5</span><span style="color: #000000;"> days in the fairly hilly terrain of Northern Malawi.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">It is a pilgrimage on two wheels for the <strong>David Gordon Memorial Hospital in Livingstonia, Malawi. </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The reason why I am doing this is because Malawi is amongst one of the world's most densely populated countries & is ravaged by HIV/Aids/Malaria & other diseases. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">As part of the EMMS bike ride we are fund raising for this particular hospital as it needs our help. At the moment it is a 100 bedded hospital situated in Livingstonia & serves a population of 75,000 (Scarborough has a population of 50,000).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"> It has an outpatient department, a male/female/paediatric ward & a maternity unit. There is also an operating theatre, a small laboratory, an x-ray unit & a pharmacy. Health clinics have also been established to reach outlaying villages on the shores of lake Malawi (some unaccessable by road).</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">This hospital <span style="color: #ff0000;">desperately</span> needs upgrading & our donations will pay for upgrading the buildings, extending it's capacity (including training more staff), providing fresh water & solar power in order to function more efficiently. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">As many of you know I work as an NHS midwife in Scarborough. The majority of women in the UK go on to have a successful pregnancy & deliver a live & healthy baby - this is not the case in Malawi.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #a52a2a;">807</span> maternal deaths per 100,000 in Malawi</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="color: #a52a2a;">11</span><span style="color: #000000;"> maternal deaths per 100,000 in the UK.</span></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">The reason why I am doing this is because the opportunity to enrol in the EMMS bike ride came my way soon after my Dad's untimely death so I wanted to do something that would challenge me both physically, mentally & also to do something worthwhile in rememberance of my Dad.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Just to give you an idea of how difficult this will be for me I did the "Coast to Coast" cycle route 6 years ago (therefore younger & fitter!!) which was 140 miles in 4 days & only just managed it. This bike ride is double the distance with one extra day in the heat!!! </span><span style="color: #ff0000;">So please dig deep and donate now</span>.</p>
<p>Just to reassure you all my accommodation & flights will be paid out of my own purse so all your donations will go to this really good cause.</p>
<p>Thank you Jane</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline; color: #ff00ff;">We Did It </span><span style="color: #ff00ff;"> What an amazing adventure, a once in a lifetime opportunity to see an amazing country with wonderful people who so desperately need our help & in a small way what jackie & I did (cycled 250 miles over 5 days) with so many generous folk encouraging us by donating money we have reached our target & EMMS have been able to buy mattresses for the new maternity block in Livingstonia, an ambulance to help patients get to the hospital (the outlying villages are miles away & the road upto Livingstonia is almost unwalkable unless you are a mountaineer!) & of course train staff.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff00ff;">We saw so many sights but what hit home the most was the distinct lack of "middle aged people" around, a huge number of orphanages & in most villages/towns there were coffin shops. It wasn't all doom & gloom infact almost the opposite everywhere we went we got such a lovely welcome & the children were so excited to see us. They loved having their photo's taken. We take so much for granted in this country so it was a really humbling experience to be able to get a snap shot of what life is like living in Malawi. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ff00ff;"><strong>So a huge thank you</strong>. I would love to do it again so watch this space!! Jane Millar</span></p>