Residents give back to hospital with 24-hour fundraiser

The family and friends of a Melksham man who was critically ill are holding a 24-hour fundraiser to give back to the hospital that cared for him.

The 50:500 challenge will see a team of eight complete 50 holes of golf and 500,000 darts points within 24 hours, starting at 7am on 17th September.

Their aim is to raise funds for vital equipment and support for the intensive care unit at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, which supported Ray Jenkins, 64, when he suffered multiple organ failure in June.

Fighting for his life, Ray needed a ventilator to breathe, a dialysis machine to support his kidneys and nine IV infusions running continuously to keep him alive.

His son, Gary, said, “We saw the dedication, compassion and skill of the ICU doctors, nurses and wider team who worked tirelessly around the clock to keep our dad alive. The doctors and nurses were amazing and they were checking up on him every minute.

“We obviously sat down a few times to prepare for the worst. I was off work and so was my mum and brother and we were visiting every day and now five weeks later, we are happy to have him home.

“Dad might struggle to walk and talk and have neurological issues but he is still the same old dad we knew. It is just amazing how he has pulled through and come back home. It’s miraculous to be honest.”

The challenge will take place at Whitley Golf Club and Melksham Town Football Club’s Sky Bar, where members of the group usually play darts on a Friday night.

Four members of the team will start at each location before swapping over. The team hope to raise between £1,000 and £5,000.

Gary said, “£5,000 could be enough for a bed and tubes and infusions. If this gains traction maybe we could do it every year. We wanted to show our appreciation somehow. We don’t want to run marathons so we wanted to do the sports that we are used to.”

To support the fundraiser visit https://shorturl.at/0xK79