In 2008, our son Andrew was admitted to the A&E department of our local hospital. He had been unwell for a few weeks, but it kept being put down to colds or stomach bugs. His body had started shutting down and turning a mottled blue, and the doctors had trouble stabilising him enough to put him on a drip. He was x-rayed and diagnosed with severe pneumonia, and was given just a 50% of survival.

The same evening he was rushed by ambulance to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, 130 miles from home, where he was fully diagnosed with pneumonia, empyema and a collapsed lung!

Andrew ended up being operated on, and having a chest drain inserted. He spent a total of 7 weeks in hospital. My wife lived in the hospital for the duration of his stay, whilst I spend half of my week at the hospital, and the other half of the week at home and work.

With the help of the surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, play specialists etc., Andrew made a remarkable full recovery, and now, you would never know that he had ever been so unwell.

The hospital is made up of a few wards, and those who look after children with high profile illnesses seem to attract a lot of donations and funding. However, the ward that Andrew stayed in, the Respiratory ward, receives nowhere near the level of donations that it so desperately needs. That’s why all money raised from my challenge will go directly to that ward.

Please don’t think that you won’t bother to donate because you can’t afford much – believe me, every penny helps!