UPDATE: My dad wrote a poem about the work he's been doing towards his recovery. It seems simple, but one of the effects of the stroke was dysphasia - "a partial or complete impairment of the ability to communicate, resulting from brain injury", so this poem is symbolic of an immense amount of work and the huge strides he's made in recovering from his stroke - which happened nearly a year ago. Tremendous thanks to everyone who has helped him and my family. I asked if I could share it with you all, so here it is:

One step at a time by Raymond Harvey

You’re climbing up a mountainside 

Good health the goal you seek. 

The path is steep and rugged 

And at times you’ll want to weep.

Take one step at a time my friend, 

Take one step at a time. 

You may not feel a positive trend 

But one step more is fine.

Each passing day there’s a victory won, 

If you take one more step each time. 

Each one ensures that you feel alive, 

Panting and breathless as you climb.

Take one step at a time my friend 

One step more is fine! 

Stop! Look around! And the progress made 

Will surely blow your mind! 

The mountain path is muddy at times 

And you slip and slide about. 

It’s difficult and frustrating, sure,

But success is never in doubt!

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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Some of you will know that last September my dad had a severe stroke, which has affected his speech, his balance and movement down his right-hand side. He is continuing to work hard at recovery, and believe me, it is hard work. 

By the time I do the GNR, a little over a year will have passed. In that time, the number of people and places that have helped and supported my parents has (and will have) mounted up - so when I got a ballot place for GNR, my first thought was to raise money for one of these groups.

When I spoke to my parents, they requested that I raise money for one of the lesser-known groups : Hyperbaric Isle of Man.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is used to treat and help a number of chronice diseases and severe injuries. Most people know it for the bends, but its uses go far beyond that. A medical jargony list can be found here: 

http://www.hyperbaric.im/page_119776.html

 This therapy is still in the experimental stages in terms of application to stroke recovery, but it's certainly helping my dad - and what might seem like only a tiny boost to recovery from the outside is a massive thing to the stroke victim and their family. 

The Isle of Man is lucky enough to have 2 hyperbaric chambers - but they cost £175,000 a year to run and maintain, and that money is raised largely through the efforts of volunteers. They are used to treat so many people for injuries and chronic medical conditions, and with some extra money there's a lot they could do to add to and improve facilities. 

So, I hope you'll support this particular fundraising effort. A couple of pounds would be massively appreciated, and you'd be helping Manx residents across a range of illness and injury. Thanks for reading this far, if you did, and thanks for all your support.

Fran x

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.