In November of my first year of college my Mum was emitted to hospital to have an Acoustic Nueroma removed (a tumour, situated where the acoustic nerve connects to the brain), this meant 13 hours of brain surgery however all went well and we were told she would be in hospital for around a month.

  

A week later, she had picked up an infection and had to have drains placed into her head, she spent the next two months in and out of a coma, having more surgery and living in intensive care. In total she spent 11 months in hospital before coming home. For the next year she needed help doing most things and relied on either myself or a carer doing pretty much everything. With the help of some more physiotherapy she was slowly recovering and getting back to a nearly normal life. 

  

Unfortunately, in the autumn of 2010 she needed more surgery, to adjust the drains in her head and clear a blockage in her spinal cord. After a successful operation, she has recovered well but it was unsuitable for her to continue to lead an independent life at home. This year she has moved into a care home where she is able to benefit from around the clock support. 

  

Although the surgeons in Southampton where obviously very important in my Mum's care, perhaps the next most important part of her treatment was the time she spent in a small hospital in the middle of Bath. This is where she did the majority of her rehabilitation; she arrived there barely able to walk more than a few steps and needing support the whole time. She spent 5 months there and when she left she was able to walk un-supported, make herself a drink and talk and write again. 

 

The hospital is the RNHRD (Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases) aka "The Mineral Hospital" and is on the high street in Bath just up the road from the Westgate. You could walk past it and not even realise that there is a hospital there. They are one of the best places in the country for the type of rehab my mum needed. One of the reasons is because they are able to take patients out into Bath to experience normal life again, furthermore they have a small courtyard garden and many patients spend time in here to get a break from the sterile environment in the hospital ward.

 

Following our fund raising success from last year, 51 runners mainly from the University of Bath Hockey Men’s and Ladies’ 5th Teams; are aiming to raise £5000 for the RNHRD by running the Bath Half and would be very appreciative of any contributions, no matter how small.  

 

The money we raise will help this unique hospital buy equipment to help patients like my Mum and continue to provide the personal care she was so lucky to receive. I am eternally grateful that my Mum was able to make it through such an ordeal but not everyone is so lucky any amount of money we could raise would make a massive difference to everyone at the hospital, my Mum and me.

 

The Team:

 

 

Scott Bennett, Tom Bond, Harriet Booth, Jacob Bowman, Megan Boxall, Janina  Brede, Alex Brown, Harry Buttler, Olly Cairns, Sam Capper, Max Charron, David Corcoran, Katie Elliot, Tash Ferguson, Calum Forrest, Dom Gillan, Alex Golding, Harry Graham, Edward Green, Kim Hague, Ross Hannah, Alex Hewson, Richard Horton, Eleanor Hynes, Dan Ivory, Nathan King, Anneke Klapwijk, Conrad Langridge, Emily Lewis, Sam Licence, Dilpreet Lota, Andrew Ma, John Macdonald, George MacDonald, Anthony Matheson, Dani McDonald, Clare Millington, Dora Minors, Freya Minors, Emily Munsey, John Murphy, Will Paskins, Edoardo Pecorari, Euan Phillip, Tank Porteous, Matt Roberts, Dave Sutcliffe, Caitlin Thomas, Steven Wilkins, Libby Wright