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Date of release: 6th August 2024
Simon’s £3,000 fundraiser after “life-saving” care
A grateful patient whose life was saved by intensive care staff has scaled three of Britain’s most dangerous climbs to raise £3,000 for Wolverhampton’s Integrated Critical Care Unit.
Father-of-two Simon Burke, 48, was placed in a coma for 10 days with sepsis group A streptococcal invasive tropical toxic syndrome. He spent two weeks on a ventilator, 39 days in New Cross Hospital and lost nearly three stone.
Group A streptococcus, also called group A strep, is a bacterium that can cause many different infections, including sepsis, a life-threatening emergency.
Simon, from Bradmore, managed to climb the notorious 3,000-feet ascent “knife-edged” Crib Goch, the 3,494-feet Garnedd Ugain – the second highest-peak in Wales – followed by the tallest, Snowdon (3,558-feet).
He raised the money for the ICCU, through The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) Charity, after a fight to save his life.
Wife of 13 years Lucie, 46, who is Supervisor at the café in the Heart and Lung Centre at New Cross Hospital, mounted a daily bedside vigil, prepared for the worst.
“I was at death’s door,” said Simon, who has recently been made redundant from his job as a stairlift engineer. “There were a few days when I wasn’t expected to pull through.
“A couple of times my wife was told to come into hospital to put my affairs in order.”
Simon had become ill over a weekend so stayed in bed on the Monday morning.
“My wife woke me up on the Tuesday and I had a solid rash on my side which had turned yellow. I managed to walk to A&E but by 4pm I was on life support.”
Admitted on 28 November 2023, Simon, who used to do paddleboarding, canoeing and running before his illness, spent around three weeks on ICCU before being moved to Ward B8. He was allowed home on 5 January.
“I had a cut open up on my leg, my leg started to blister and my whole body swelled up like a balloon,” he recalled. “I didn’t walk on my own again until Christmas Eve.”
In hospital he had the idea of giving back.
“I kept dreaming about walking,” he said. “So I thought about doing a fundraising walk because the ICCU staff saved my life.
“I didn’t think walking up Snowdon was enough, so I thought I needed to make it more dangerous, so I decided to do Crib Gogh. They call it Razor Edge – there are sheer drops on either side.”
Simon undertook the daredevil walk with close friend Morgan Taylor, also 48, from Bushbury.
“The ICCU staff were fantastic. One Nurse always phoned Lucie when she wasn’t at my bedside,” he added.
He has been told it will take 12 to 18 months before he makes a full recovery.
Gerardine Hardisty, Matron, ICCU, said: “Well done and a huge thank you to Simon. What an outstanding effort from Simon after all he has been through.”
Amanda Winwood, RWT Charity Development Manager, said: “Simon has done brilliantly to undertake this gruelling walk and raise this money after all he has been through. Well done and thank you.”
People can donate to Simon’s fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/qnqkw-intensive-care-unit-new-cross-hospital?qid=c26fce59b8caa5f1564b618bb1d4f443
ENDS
- For further information, please call Tim Nash on 07714 741097 or email tim.nash2@nhs.net
- Picture attached, from left: Lucie Burke, Simon Burke, Amie Rogers, Fundraising and Lead Digital Engagement Officer, Geraldine Hardisty, Matron, ICCU, and Vicki Hartmann, Senior Sister, ICCU.