Kelly Betteridge and her family are celebrating after clocking up 1.6 million steps between them during April, raising over £540 for the Hospice in memory of her mam Joyce Lovack.
‘We wanted to give something back to the amazing team for helping us as a family through the most difficult time of our lives.’ ‘On the 8th March 2019, my mam was admitted to St Cuthbert’s In-Patient Unit. On arrival, we all received a lovely warm welcome from all of the staff. During the time my mam was staying there the doctors, nursing staff and various other members of the team made my mam’s stay as nice and comfortable as possible. Not only did they all look after my mam but also looked after us family members visiting too. Sadly, on the 20th April my mam passed away.’ ‘Within the In-Patient Unit, a nurse does an average of 11,000 steps during their 12-hour shift, this is not counting what they do before and after their shift has finished. They have so much compassion and love for each person within the unit they make a huge difference to everyone around them.’
Throughout April, Kelly and her son and daughter Macauley and Lillie-Mai, alongside her friend Faye and her children Jack and Katie, walked over 800 miles between them, tracking their progress each day using her Fitbit to keep track of their total.
They visited lots of places on their doorstep but also managed to travel a little further afield, visiting Dalby Forrest, Birmham Rocks, High Force, Scarbourgh and finishing off their challenge by conquering the mighty Pen-y-Ghent, one of the Yorkshire Three Peaks. Kelly added: ‘I have to say Pen-y-Ghent was one of my favourite walks, the weather was so good we could see the fantastic views for miles. We managed to clock up a massive 119,034 steps that day. It’s not easy going up a mountain and I am so proud of our teenagers they were amazing!’
Kelly is urging others in the county to take on the Step up Challenge for St Cuthbert’s Hospice, choosing to match the nurses’ steps for a whole month, or even more steps if you can go for it, to help raise vital funds: ‘Your support means that other families can benefit from the same care and support we received during the most difficult time of our lives.’