Jamie takes on major steps for hospital ward

The 48-year-old chef had spent five months bedridden in hospital.

Doctors had said Jamie’s kidney, liver and heart were failing.

By this point, Jamie, of Hunsworth, Cleckheaton, had defied the small odds of survival - but was still faced with the challenging and painstaking journey of learning to walk again.

A year on, Jamie has now completed an eight mile charity walk, to raise more than £1,200 for the stroke and neuro-ward at Dewsbury Hospital, which helped with rehabilitation.

Jamie said: “One of the hardest tasks was learning to walk again, so this was the reason for my charity walk.

“The furthest I had walked before was just over a mile.

“I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it.

“It was a big achievement especially when 12 months ago I couldn’t walk without the aid of a zimmer frame.”

Jamie completed the challenge with a team of friends on April 2.

They set off from the Halfway House in Birkenshaw and made their way to the hospital, taking a route allowing them to call at various pubs to talk to people and collect donations.

Jamie said: “Staff at the hospital saved my life and I felt like I needed to give something back so I came up with this challenge.

“Whilst I wasn’t in that ward, I needed some of that rehabilitation and some of the staff from the ward to help me to walk again.

“But it’s not just about me. They help lots of people and will continue to do so.”

Staff at Jamie’s local pub The Halfway House got behind the fundraising drive and are even planning a sponsored sky dive.

Jamie hopes to organise more events in the coming months including a 24 hour cyclathon and family music festival to try to raise a total of £10,000 for the hospital.