Fundraising Parkrun a Huge Success for Dr Brind

Staff from across UHNM came together on Saturday 28 January to join Dr Alison Brind on a fundraising Parkrun for UHNM Charity.

The Consultant Gastroenterologist has now raised almost £6,000 for liver disease at UHNM through the event at Trentham Gardens.

Dr Brind said: “I’ve always been an active and outdoors person and enthusiastic marathon and ultrarunner and happy member of Stone Master Marathoners. However I was gradually becoming less and less fit and was becoming plagued with neck problems and a forward lean. A Parkrun had become a comfortable distance for me.”

“Then in September 2022 the bottom fell out my world. The neck pain radiating down into my arms, which I’d put down to old age and osteoporosis with a bit of whiplash was diagnosed as Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer.”

“At rock bottom with no motivation, my oncologist challenged me to take up a cause of great importance to myself. Being at Liver Consultant at UHNM for 25 years, I’d seen so much death and misery from liver disease over that time, so I looked no further for a cause.”

“Most advanced liver disease is preventable if caught early enough, but patients usually have no symptoms or signs until it’s too late for intervention. That’s why I decided to set up an appeal to fund more resources for early screening of liver disease but also to raise awareness so people know how to look after their liver.”

“I decided on a Parkrun as this was achievable to most. I had an amazing response from people helping to organise the event and also those who wanted to attend. Those in attendance included my family, former patients and colleagues from across UHNM including those from Liver, Cancer, Endoscopy and Bowel Cancer Screening.”

“The official attendance was 698, with 127 never having been to a Parkrun before. The atmosphere was so friendly, there was a real family feel with people from different generations, as well as plenty of dogs!”

“I decided to attempt to walk the whole 5k course as that’s currently the limit of my exercise tolerance. Many people came to talk to me along the way and encourage me on including relatives of former patients and old colleagues.”

“It’s amazing what positive thinking can do- there’s always a way despite cancer. I’m currently halfway through chemotherapy yet despite this finished in a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes and 38 seconds.”

“At the end of the morning there were 700-odd happy people. Thank you to everybody who attended, the Run Director and all the marshals.”

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