James Gilbert’s Fundraiser for Lipton Charity Fund

Thursday 21st April 2022 started like any normal Thursday for James. Little did he know, a brain haemorrhage would leave him fighting for his life by 10:30am. Finding himself unable to speak, and motor functions failing, his will to survive enabled him to drag himself out of the house, where neighbours found him and raised the alarm. Paramedics rushed him to Whiston hospital where a brain scan started to reveal the extent of his injuries. Due to the severity of the situation, he was placed in an induced coma and taken to the Walton Centre where brain specialists were on hand to take the next steps. James’ fight for life had only just begun, and he spent the next few weeks in the coma as the team of doctors and specialists worked round the clock. As James was beginning to wake it became apparent that he would have to relearn even the most basic of things, like breathing on his own, which took him 8 weeks. His birthday passed at the end of May as he continued his efforts to be less dependent on the machines that had been keeping him alive, finally reaching the milestone of independent breathing in the middle of June. However, many more milestones lay ahead. His incredible determination and never give up attitude, coupled with the love and support of Claire, Layla, Maddison, Sue, Neil, Tom and Sam and the rest of his family have seen him through 6 major surgeries and he is progressing in leaps and bounds so far. At present James and his huge personality are working on recovery at the Walton Centre’s Lipton Ward. A network of support and rehab staff are aiding James (literally) every step of the way. However, there is a piece of equipment the hospital doesn’t have yet that will be able to help shorten this journey considerably, and that’s where James and all of us are reaching out. There are innovative pieces of equipment needed for the Lipton Ward to aid and rehabilitate patients such as James. There is considerable cost involved for such specialist equipment, so as a team of fundraisers we will be completing a number of challenges as we aim for a £10,000 goal. We’ll be stepping outside our own personal comfort zones, inspired by James’ progress. James won’t be getting away with letting us do all the hard work either, completing daily cycles as he builds up his strength and endurance. Some of the challenges for starters are the 33-mile Sandstone Trail walk from Whitchurch to Frodsham, and to keep you updated on our efforts. All proceeds to benefit the CRU / Lipton Charity Fund. Thank you in advance for your generosity!