Hello and thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving Page. My Name is Dave Whittington and in November 2020 during the throws of the COVID Pandemic I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). PH is a rare, serious and potentially life changing/ending condition that if not caught can impact on the right side of the heart. Following numerous tests and appointments I was advised that I needed a lengthy 9-hour operation to remove large and significant blood clots from my lungs. I underwent the operation at the Papworth Hospital in Cambridge 100 miles away from where I live in Leicestershire and with all the restrictions for hospital admissions around COVID, I was dropped off by my wife and left to face the operation alone. Throughout my time with the medical team, I was supported and looked after so well and to show my gratitude to both the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and Papworth Hospital Charity Trust I want try and raise some money towards both their causes.

My road to recovery has been long and at times difficult but I am determined to challenge myself further in aid of what I feel is a hugely worthwhile cause. So, what is the challenge? Well, I have a 57 year old MGC Classic car and my wife and I, who are 79 years and 81 years old respectively, intend to drive the MGC from John O Groats to Lands’ End visiting a number of PH Hospital Centres of Excellence along the way. We will be stopping at Glasgow, Newcastle and Sheffield on our route south.

The route we have planned is approximately 1178 miles and we would like to try and raise £1 for every mile we travel in the MGC added to our combined ages of 217 years. A total of £1415.00.

Thank you for taking the time to read a little about our challenge. We know that times for everyone financially are hard and are grateful of anything you feel able to donate. Please share our story with your friends, family and wider networks.

Here is a link to a short video PHA made to explain more about my journey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9lyZbXvMEY

Royal Papworth Charity exists to support the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital. With increasing pressures on the NHS, the Charity plays a vital role in ensuring that the Hospital continues to provide the highest standards of care by investing in staff development, improving the Hospital environment for our patients and supporting research into new ways of treating heart and lung disease. Our patients, their families and the staff are at the heart of everything we do, this is all made possible by the generosity of our supporters.