Recovering patient raises money for specialist unit

A recovering patient has raised a staggering £1,500 for the Central England Brain Injury Charity by completing 5 mile walk.

Garry Townsend-Kennedy was a patient at the Central England Brain Injury Unit, which is based at Leamington Spa Hospital, after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome in June 2015. This rare illness caused Garry to suddenly go from being an active, family man to re-learning basic life skills; with one of the most challenging being to walk again.

After spending 3 months at the specialist unit, Garry is now on the road to recovery and wanted to give something back to the unit that helped him get his life back. On the 18 December 2016, Garry, along with family, friends and work colleagues all took part in the Santa Dash around Draycote Water dressed in full Father Christmas get up. This was a particularly poignant experience for Garry as he has previously enjoyed taking part in the festive fundraiser prior to his illness and aspired to do it again. Up until February 2016, Garry was wheelchair bound so this really was physically challenge and represents a fantastic milestone in his journey. Garry completed the challenge by walking, whilst others ran.

Garry Townsend-Kennedy said: “My recovery would not have been possible without the hard work, dedication and encouragement I received during my time at CERU. I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that has supported me and made donations. Fundraising can make a real difference to the lives of patients undergoing rehabilitation and therefore I would urge more people to get involved with the Central England Brain Injury Charity as you never know when you or a family member might need their care.”

Sue Bleasdale, General Manager at CERU said: “We are extremely grateful to Garry and his family for this generous donation. Thanks to support like this we are able to provide patients with upgraded equipment, which makes a real difference in their recovery. Completing this challenge was a fantastic achievement for Garry and I am so pleased that he chose to donate the sponsorship to us.”

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a disease where the body’s immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system. It has a sudden onset and causes changes in sensation followed by paralysis in limbs.

The Central England Brain Injury Charity enhances the facilities at CERU to make the patients and relatives as comfortable as possible. As part of the NHS, funding is allocated to essential materials. Fundraising allows us to create a continually improving environment to support our patients as they undergo their rehabilitation.

For further information or to discuss your fundraising ideas please call the Fundraising Department on 01926 495321 extension 8049.

Notes to Editor:

For more information please contact communications on 01926 495 321 ext 8383

Photo Caption (left-right): Rochelle Sudbury, Megan Nannfeldt, Garry Townsend-Kennedy, Nicola Townsend-Kennedy, Amy Townsend-Kennedy, Rob Wood, Lucy Townsend-Kennedy

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