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(Day Four Update 1st June. Kendal All going welll so far , yesterday was really varied, nice weather , and a light wind, shropshire was beautiful, and hitting through the towns heading north was better than we thought. We hit Lancaster at about Six last night after 110 miles and then headed on to Kendal. The vista was stunning , some of the most beautiful riding so far , legs still working and no major issues. Pete's frame gave out , but managed to find him a new bike, he just had to go back and do the 20 miles he missed from the day before - a total of 150 miles yesterday !
Up Shap in the lakes today , the weather isn't great, but short day of 75 miles to Dumfries. 20 miles of climbing first , but then 30 miles downhill.)
(Day One Update , 28th May. We have all made it safely to Sheffas Parents outside Launston. 90 miles covered today . All well, some killer hills and a few mechanicals, punctures hopefully out of the way . Lovely sun and a tail wind. We are missing dartmoor now but staring at a massive day of 200km (125 Miles!!!!) a little nervous as the weather is looking rubbish! Fingers crossed , an early start!
(Another Update! 19th May - amazing thanks so much every one! Planing final ride in Bristol with Sheffa on sunday , then leaving the bike in the shed till wednesday. Pete is on the task of sorting out team tops, left it a little last minute. Andy has been practising his long distance driving and is now ready for the challenge. The good news for us is that the long term weather is looking better , it is now warmer and more importantly the wind is shifting back to the south west where it sould come from. Good for blowing away volcanic ash and also good for those of us cycling northwards!
We have got a camera on the bikes so will get some photos and video as we go north and plan is to update on Faebook daily if we can and let you all know how we are getting on. Could be some comedy moments! Thanks again and keep watching! If you type in Dave Husband to face book you should find me, there arent many of us!)
( Just a quick update on the 9th May 2010 - Thanks to every one who has been so generous in supporting us so far , it means so much so thank you all! We are 2 weeks away now from setting off and training is going well. Toby is hopefully now joining us for the whole way, so there are Myself, Pete , Sheffa and toby , plus Andy the driver. My sister and Duncan will be doing a few days. Just pray for the wind to change direction!)
On the 18 June 2009 my cousin Kay and her partner Steven gave birth to their second son Ted. All seemed ok but on discharge a day later the paediatricians picked up a heart murmur and his heart rate was too low. Over the next six weeks he spent time in and out of hospital while the doctors monitored him and tried to stabilise his heart rate and rhythm. All the while though he seemed totally normal to look at and was growing well.On the 10 of October while my cousin was playing with Ted, he suddenly became blue and very ill. Ted was taken by ambulance to James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough where they immediately airlifted him to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne. The air ambulance was 15minutes from loosing its light to fly. Ted arrived and had a cardiac arrest at the hospital; he was resuscitated and placed on an ECMO (extra corporal membrane oxygenation) machine. This is essentially a heart and lung bypass machine. The freeman is only one of 4 hospitals in the UK that can offer this service. Kay and Steven where taken up the A1 in a police car to the hospital not knowing how Ted was. The ECMO machine was able to buy Ted some time, but soon it was realised that his only option was a heart transplant.
He was placed on another machine called a Berlin Heart to help his failing heart pump the blood in his body. He was on this Machine from the 21 October until he was given his new heart on the 8 December. Ted had done so well on the Berlin Heart and the heart such a good match that he was allowed home on the 31 December.
The whole story, although distressing, is amazing. Every time although ill, things just seemed to go right. From the air ambulance being able to take him, to the cardiac arrest happening in the hospital and not before. And then the heart coming up. The tragedy of one family who were so brave to donate the heart to allow our family such joy. An act of indescribable selflessness. If you do nothing else please sign up to the Donor Register at http://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/ukt/.
I am riding the length of the country to raise money for the Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) www.chuf.org.uk . They raise money to support the unit and also the paediatric intensive care unit. I would like to be able to help other families through what must be the most difficult time, and see the joy that we now see with Ted. Please give generously. Thank you.
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