Christmas Eve 2010

24th Dec 2010

I just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
2010 has been an eventful year to say the least and I won’t be sorry to see the back of it and welcome 2011. However, that said if I hadn’t been through what I have been through then I would have missed many good things that have come out of a bad situation.
I have been lucky enough to meet so many wonderful people along the journey both face to face but also via the web. People who are battling various forms of Cancer and who are so brave and inspiring offering support to all those around them in the same predicament. And people caring for loved ones who are ill and day after day look after them with so much care and love and often under immense pressure and with less recognition than they deserve.
I remember clearly this time last year being full of so much doubt as to what the future might hold, so much uncertainty as to what life would be like post MOAS. Yet here I am a year down the line having recovered so well and having achieved so much. Back to living a normal lifestyle, running, climbing and caving again.
My journey has really shown me the importance of making the most of the time you have with family and friends and savouring them. Stop and recognise those magic moments for what they are. I recently did this when out enjoying the snow with Tracey and the children. We had found a good hill not too far from the house and were having race’s on our sledges in the snow. Tracey sat on the back with me and the girls sharing the other sledge. The air full of screams and laughter as we hurtled down the hill together. We all collapsed in a heap at the bottom, the thrill of the ride was fantastic. And we shared those moments together. Priceless.
So to all of you who might be reading this full of dread as to what’s around the corner and what the future might hold. Be encouraged by what I have achieved, hopefully you will too. We are so in debt to the experts at the hospitals all around the world who mend us when we are broken and do such a great job. I can’t thank the team at Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital enough for all that they have done for me.
Last night I was given the best Christmas present. I was handed a cheque for another £500 made out to the hospital as a donation to our Snowdon walk we did back in August. This now takes the total raised to £5262 and means we have smashed the £5k target we set ourselves. Fantastic news!
So to you all, Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy 2011!

Dave