Raising funds for the childrens diabetic unit at St James' leeds

As you may know my son Barney was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes in 2007 aged 12. This was a huge shock to our family. I am extremely grateful for the team headed by Fiona Campbell at the Children’s Diabetes Unit in and for the on going care he receives. At a recent visit to the clinic at the Children’s Diabetic Unit at St James Hospital in Leeds I was very surprised to hear from Fiona Campbell that the unit was in desperate need to replace old and unreliable equipment which cannot be provided by the NHS.

The very next day, as luck would have it, I was in the Flying Pizza in , when my old friend and proprietor Martin Pickles told me he was going to climb Kilimanjaro for charity. He was doing this as part of The New Victoria Medical Foundation Kilimanjaro Challenge team which includes Graham Ball C.E.O. of the Foundation and 12 others and there was one place left! The opportunity for me join the team and to raise the funds for the equipment so urgently needed at the Children’s Diabetic Unit at St James Hospital in Leeds was there. The challenge was on!

Oh….........what have I done? 5 days up, 2 down, camping, freezing -20°, altitude sickness, no booze etc, what joy! So please, please help. I know things are tough but please be kind and generous and make a donation to help me reach my target. I will be grateful forever, but much more importantly, so will the children who attend the clinic at the Children’s Diabetic Unit at St James Hospital in Leeds and who will benefit greatly from the new equipment the funds I raise will provide.

I have asked Fiona Campbell, head of The Children’s Diabetes Service in to explain the reasons it is so important to have this equipment immediately:  Fiona Campbell says they currently looking after over 300 children under the age of 18 years with type 1 Diabetes. This is a life-long condition. Each child and family attends the Diabetes clinics at St James Hospital very regularly throughout the year in order that the child’s health is checked. It is essential that the hormone insulin is injected multiple times each day in order that the levels of sugar in the blood are kept under control. Should the blood sugar levels run at excessively high or low levels, then this ultimately can damage blood vessels in the body causing essential organs such as the eyes, kidneys and heart to malfunction over time. In order for the risks of this happening to be minimised it is essential that a special blood test called an HbA1c is performed at a minimum of 4x each year in every child with diabetes. This can be done in the clinic on a machine which can give the result in just 8 minutes. We aim to keep this blood test result as near normal as possible to lessen the chance of developing complications of diabetes in the future. We desperately need to replace our 7 year old unreliable machine. When it breaks down we have to physically take a blood sample from the child and send it for analysis which can take 3 weeks and can cause distress for the child and delay to possible treatment. We desperately need two new machines, which are more accurate, and additional equipment which cannot be provided by the NHS. Please help us help these children.

Please sponsor me now!

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Your money reaches the charity faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation. All my costs for the expedition are paid by me so every penny donated goes to the charity.                                                                                                                                                  

Thank you for your support.