Andy will walk two miles a day for the hospice, just six months after a serious spinal injury
In September 2021, Andy Hart lay on the ground in a hospital car park, after losing feeling in his legs. Just six months later, he is tackling an incredible 62-mile walking challenge throughout March, to raise money for North Devon Hospice.
“My wife had rushed me to the hospital when I started losing feeling in my foot, but by the time we got there I couldn’t even make it to the front door,” said Andy, aged 43 from Weare Giffard. “I lay on the ground in the car park, unable to move, and had to wait for the hospital staff to carry me in. It was pretty scary.”
Andy was in Southampton attending a wedding, having had some back pain in the build-up, but he never expected what was to come. “Before long I couldn’t feel anything from the waist down. I had an MRI scan, and ten minutes later there was an anaesthetist and surgeon ready to operate on me! I had cauda equina syndrome, where a disc in my back had exploded into my spinal cord. Luckily, I was only paralysed for a relatively short time, but there was nerve damage which takes a long time to recover.”
After a week in Southampton’s specialist spinal unit, Andy was able to return home to North Devon, but recovery has been a long and tiring process. “I had to learn to walk again and the first time I tried I could only manage about 5 metres, with people helping me. I was pretty much bed-bound, but the one thing I wanted was to eat my meals in the kitchen, so at least I was retaining some sense of normality. I have managed to do that, but it’s been completely exhausting.”
With nerve endings only growing back at one millimetre per day, Andy has slowly built up his ability to walk again. Now, he is taking on an incredible challenge throughout March. “My wife saw that people were pledging to walk 2 miles every day in March for charity. For most people that’s not much of a challenge, but for me it is huge, so I thought I’d give it a go! Given that I’ve only just learnt to walk again and still need sticks to help me, I thought it would help me raise more money!”
Andy is raising funds for North Devon Hospice. “We have been touched by the care of the hospice, after my wife’s auntie, Judith Williams, was cared for before she died. The support she received, as well as the whole family, was just incredible. I thought this would be a nice way to raise some funds, so that other families can benefit in their time of need too.”
Andy has already raised over £1,000 for the hospice and hopes that total will go up before he completes his challenge. “I’m walking every day along the Tarka Trail to try and reach my target of 62 miles in March. My balance is still not great, and I need my sticks to help me, but I’ll keep plodding along. It’s an important part of my recovery, and I hope to raise as much as I can for a great cause.”
Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-hart24 to sponsor Andy on his amazing 62-mile challenge.
