A grandfather is preparing to walk to every dairy farm on the island, a distance of more than 100 miles, to thank the hospital caring for his granddaughter.
Paul Turner, a milk tanker driver for Isle of Man Creamery, will do the sponsored walk on the weekend of Saturday August 8 and Sunday 9.
The 102-mile route will see Paul cover 62 miles on the first day and 40 miles on the second, starting and finishing at the Creamery.
Imogen
His granddaughter Imogen was first diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was just two and a half years old. She underwent surgery and travelled to Germany for proton beam therapy, before being given the all-clear for eight and a half years.
But earlier this year, at the age of 11, the tumour returned.
Paul told Manx.News: “We’re doing a sponsored walk to every single dairy farm on the island, which is roughly 102 miles over two days.”
“The money is going to go to Alder Hey because of everything Alder Hay have actually done for Imogen.”
He described the care his family has received at the Liverpool children’s hospital.
“When she was two and a half, they removed the tumour from the brain, and she ended up going to Essen in Germany for proton beam therapy.
“She’s been clear for eight and a half years, and she went away for her annual checkup, and unfortunately they found another one.”
He said the hospital treats families as if they are their own. “They treat you as if you are family, and it’s time to give back to them.”
“They will just bend over backwards. Your child, your grandchild, or whatever. They could be in a foul mood, and they calm them down. They know exactly what’s going on, and it’s time to give back.”
‘Our world changed forever’
Imogen’s mother Abbie spoke of the moment her daughter’s diagnosis turned the family’s world upside down.
“My daughter was just two and a half years old when our world changed forever,” she said.
“One day she was a bright, chatty toddler full of energy. The next, we were sitting in a doctor’s office hearing words no parent ever wants to hear: ‘brain tumour’.”
Abbie described the fear as overwhelming, but praised the care at Alder Hey.
“The doctors, nurses, surgeons, and every single member of staff wrapped us in care that went far beyond medicine. They treated our little girl like she was their own.”
After eight and a half years of remission, the family received the devastating news that the tumour had returned. “Eight and a half years later, at eleven years old, we heard those same terrifying words again. The tumour was back.”
Hope
Abbie said Alder Hey had become a place of hope for the family. “This hospital is more than a building. It’s a place where miracles are fought for every single day.
“The staff here don’t just save lives, they restore families, they lift spirits, and they give children like my daughter the chance to keep being children, even in the middle of a battle.”
Walk
Paul’s route will take him from the Creamery through Baldwin, Patrick, Peel, and north to Ramsey, Bride, and the coast road on the first day.
The second day heads south to St Marks, Ballamodha, Colby, Port St Mary, Port Erin, and finishing at Port Soderick.
He will then plan to walk onboard a sailing to Liverpool before completing the final leg from Princes Half-Tide Dock to Alder Hey.
You can donate to Paul’s efforts here.