Challenge

We are two brothers, Matt and Brandon Greenwood, aka, the “Pedalo Bros" and we are taking on an epic challenge to raise money for an important and very personal cause.

Our aim is to pedal the River Thames in a 2nd hand, 10-year-old pedalo that was found at the bottom of a lake. The pedalo voyage will start in Lechlade, Gloucestershire and end at Teddington Lock, London, spanning 206 km (128 miles) over the course of approximately 8 days. With nothing but leg power to get us there.

Our mission is to raise money in order to fund extensive facial reconstructive surgery that a close and dear family member of ours urgently needed to save his life.

Storytime

In 2003, at the age of 34, our family member had a routine dentist appointment which changed his life forever. His dentist noticed a lump on his tongue, which was quickly diagnosed as stage 3 mouth cancer. This resulted in the surgeon making a decision to remove half of his tongue to stop the cancer from spreading further. By 2006, he was finally cancer free! However, the numerous surgeries and intensive radiotherapy, whilst destroying the cancer, also severely weakened his jaw bone. This resulted in almost constant chronic pain in his mouth and jaw, an inability to consume food and a general loss of quality of life. In 2017, his jaw bone started to crumble, causing daily agony.

Then one morning he got out of bed, and his jaw broke.

Doctors highlighted that the jaw fracture severely increased his risk of developing life-threatening septicaemia, a serious bloodstream infection. Jaw reconstruction surgery was necessary to reduce this fatal risk and to dramatically improve his quality of life.

But despite the immense pain and the life-threatening nature of his condition, this would have taken at least eight months through the NHS or cost approximately £50,000 privately, to have it much sooner and save his life.

Olive Branch

With an estimated 12 months before the highly likely chance of a fatal infection, a family friend and Doctor from Belgium offered to introduce his case to a Belgian jaw specialist. This allowed the jaw reconstruction to take place within three months, as opposed to eight, and for less than half the cost.

In order to reconstruct his jaw, a large piece of bone was taken from his hip. He was in intensive care for 10 days and had machines helping him breathe and eat. He is nothing short of a hero for enduring what most people cannot imagine.

However, the surgery still cost a staggering £15,000.

Today

The surgery was received in June this year and has shown signs of great success; it appears to be giving him back his previous pain-free life that many of us take for granted. He can now talk without excruciating pain, eat very small amounts of food, smile and laugh. Things we all consider to be basic human needs.

The cost of the surgery is still very real, however, and after everything he has endured, being faced with this level of debt in order to save his life isn’t something anyone should have to endure.

Thank you for taking the time to read this story. Please check out our website for updates, donate (www.pedalobros.co.uk) and follow our journey on;

Website - www.pedalobros.co.uk/

Facebook - www.facebook.com/pedalobros/

Twitter - www.twitter.com/PedaloBros

Instagram - www.instagram.com/Pedalo_Bros/

#PedaloBros