Ex-patient and volunteer to lead Kings Norton walk for charity                        A volunteer chaplain and ex-patient at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is organising a sponsored walk this summer to raise funds for QEHB Charity.

Karamat Iqbal, a published writer whose works include ‘Dear Birmingham: A Conversation with My Hometown’, will lead a sponsored walk on Saturday 4 June from Kings Norton to the QE and back, after vowing to do so back in 2014 whilst fighting for his life in hospital. The funds generated will be split between QEHB Charity and Karam Foundation, Karamat’s own charity which supports children’s education in Kashmir, Pakistan.

In July 2014, 58-year-old Karamat, who led a healthy lifestyle and rarely even caught colds, began suffering severe constipation; later he discovered this was
because he was undergoing a bowel malfunction. After four days, he visited his doctor who referred him to the hospital, where he underwent intestinal surgery, fighting for his life after suffering unforeseen complications.

“When I woke up,” Karamat said, “I couldn’t breathe properly, talk, or even turn myself over in bed. I remember thinking ‘will I be this way forever?’” He had undergone an ileostomy, where an opening is made in the abdomen and a special bag attached to collect waste. He was told by his doctor that the procedure could be reversed, but that first he would need to get fit and healthy again.

“A few days after my surgery, the physiotherapist came to see me and said to me ‘tomorrow I want you to walk’. I didn’t believe him at first.” But the following day, Karamat did walk a few steps, an incredible achievement considering his condition.

“I was lying in my bed, struggling to move, when I resolved that one day I would walk from the QE to my house in Kings Norton.” Determined to recover, by starting small and gently increasing the distance he walked, Karamat was able to slowly start to become active again.

“I had to learn to walk down the stairs again,” he said of his hospital stay, “I was like a child.” He practised by repeatedly making the journey from Ward 728, where he was being treated, down to the atrium and back again. “I would take the stairs down to the sixth floor, get the lift to the second, and then walk down the stairs again to the atrium. I gradually started using the stairs more and more.”

Karamat was discharged from hospital on 31 August 2014. During his stay at the QE he took great comfort from the hospital’s Faith Centre chaplains, asking them to pray with him through his recovery. Now, he volunteers as a chaplain and comes to the hospital each week to speak to patients on Wards 728 and 625.

Following his discharge, Karamat persevered with his fitness, doing tai chi and swimming amongst other activities.

Happily, in November 2015, and following 14 months with his ileostomy bag, Karamat was able to have the procedure reversed and no longer requires the bag. In celebration, he has organised the sponsored walk he first dreamed of from his hospital bed.

Dr Andrew Coward, Karamat’s GP from the Kings Norton and Ash Tree Surgery, said: “ It is wonderful and inspiring to see patients take up exercise and raise money for good causes- evidence shows that staying active is the key thing to stay fit and well or to help in preventing illnesses from coming back.”

The walk will take place on Saturday 4 June, leaving from The Peacock in Kings Norton at 9.30am.

Now, Karamat is calling for people to sign up to join the walk, or else to sponsor the event via his JustGiving page. He is suggesting that people joining the walk make a minimum donation of ten pounds. QEHB Charity t-shirts and sponsorship forms will be provided to all participants, and the walk will include a halfway point cup of tea at the hospital!

Karamat said: “I really hope people sign up and get involved – it will be a lovely June walk and we’re raising money for two incredibly worthy causes. Whether you would like to join us or can show your support through making a donation, every contribution will help us to make a difference.”

Sian Averill, Fundraising Officer at QEHB Charity, added: “It’s inspiring to hear
Karamat’s story and incredible to think how far he’s come since his surgery.
We’re really proud and grateful for his wonderful support.”

For more information about how you can support the walk, please contact Karamat Iqbal on karamat@forwardpartnership.org.uk.