Father undertakes a 115-mile walk from Nottingham to Haverhill in order to raise funds for the hospital that saved his daughter’s life. Dean Davis, whose daughter was saved, said “as a family we have driven from Nottingham to Haverhill many times so it seemed an obvious route for our charity walk”. 

Dean Davis and a group of friends walked 114 miles over four days to raise £7,000 for Nottingham General Hospital and the local diabetes clinic at West Suffolk Hospital. Dean’s 8 year-old daughter, Harper, contracted E-coli and a secondary infection, which affected her kidneys and bowel, whilst on holiday in 2018.

 

The infection meant that Harper had to have a kidney transplant which led to Dean’s sister donating an organ to the 8 year-old. Dean said “first and foremost I want to thank my sister for donating one of her kidneys to Harper”. 

 

Since 2018, the family have been able to make the trip home from the hospital which continues to treat Harper. The infection caused Type-1 Diabetes and Harper receives support from the clinic at West Suffolk Hospital which also received a donation from the funds raised by her father. Dean said “This enables her [Harper] to lead a relatively normal life, without the need for dialysis.”

 

Dean works at the Bannatyne Health Club and Spa in Bury St Edmunds which is 125 miles from Nottingham and Dean japed, saying “although driving it is much easier than walking it in four days! I am pleased we have raised so much money”. Dean sends out his appreciation saying I “would like to thank the team who walked with me, and everyone who sponsored us and supported us along the, including all at Bannatyne’s.”