All the Gear No Idea
Jonathan Brooks is raising money for University of Bristol
Participants: Jonathan Brooks, Alan Harbinson, Stuart Bennett, Tim Fendley, James Read, James Wilcox
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The All the Gear No Idea team are cycling the infamous etape du tour (the mountain stage of the Toru De France) to raise money to prevent brain injury in new born babies
The Etape crosses the iconic Col du Telegraphe (1566m), Col du Galibier (2566m), and finishing by riding up Alpe D’Huez (1850m). 109km. 3600m of climbing over 45 km. Gruelling stuff. For more details see the following website:
A World First – newborn receives xenon gas to prevent brain injury: So why are we doing this?
We’ve challenged ourselves to raise £9,000 to help the University of Bristol develop a pioneering technique using xenon gas, aimed at preventing brain injury in newborn babies who are starved of oxygen at birth. 70% of infants affected with lack of oxygen either die or suffer permanent brain injury.
Over the last 14 years, Professor Marianne Thoresen of the University of Bristol has developed a ground-breaking cooling therapy for these babies, which is now a world-leading standard of care. This cooling treatment still only reduces injury by 35%, so Professor Thoresen is working on doubling the effectiveness of brain protection in these infants by combining the cooling technique with the inhalation of xenon gas.
In a world first, Professor Thoresen’s team successfully tested the technique on a baby from Bath. Riley Joyce had no pulse and was not breathing when he was first delivered by emergency Caesarean section, and was given a 50:50 chance of permanent brain injury. However, on the fifth day of experimental treatment by Professor Thoresen and her team, Riley could breathe unaided. Professor Thoresen said, “After seven days Riley was alert, able to look at his mother’s face and begin to take milk”.
Seven more babies have been treated in this feasibility study, and now Professor Thoresen and her team at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol are preparing for a large clinical trial to further test the effectiveness of xenon treatment.
With your help the ‘All the Gear No Idea’ team hope to raise at least £9,000 from our gruelling challenge. This will help fund the staffing and equipment costs of the clinical trials, and in turn help to save tiny lives.