October 29, 2018
A brave mum completed an 80-mile ‘east to west’ fundraising walk to raise money for the Golden Jubilee National Hospital after medical staff helped save the life of her son.
Alyson Rice set out on her ‘Jubilee Jaunt’ from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on Friday 12 October, covering 20 miles a day before arriving in Clydebank on Monday 15 October.
Alyson said: “It is due to the care and dedication of an amazing medical team at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital’s ICU that Cody is still here today.
“We are extremely grateful to Alyson and her supporters for raising such a fantastic sum of money and congratulate her on completing her Jubilee Jaunt.”
Alyson Rice is pictured left after her amazing and inspiring fundraising walk from Dundee to Clydebank. Also pictured are supporters Janette MacNair, a Charge Nurse in the ICU and Alyson's sister Arlene Legge, who joined her on part of the walk
A brave mum completed an 80-mile ‘east to west’ fundraising walk to raise money for the Golden Jubilee National Hospital after medical staff helped save the life of her son.
Alyson Rice set out on her ‘Jubilee Jaunt’ from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on Friday 12 October, covering 20 miles a day before arriving in Clydebank on Monday 15 October.
Alyson, from Perthshire, walked 81.2 miles in total and now hopes to raise £3000 for the hospital.
Alyson and husband Rod were told to prepare for the worst when son Cody, 19, was diagnosed with bloodstream infection septicaemia.
His condition developed into Endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and heart valves, which prompted Cody to be transferred from Ninewells Hospital to the Golden Jubilee, where he underwent open heart surgery.
Cody also received Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), which is a technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to patients whose heart and lungs are unable to function correctly.
Alyson said: “It is due to the care and dedication of an amazing medical team at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital’s ICU that Cody is still here today.
“Many of his doctors consider him a miracle and had he not made it to Clydebank, he most certainly would have died.
“The staff in the Intensive Care Unit do the most amazing jobs. Not only did they look after Cody but also myself and my husband Rod.
“My ‘Jubilee Jaunt’ was just a thank you to the staff at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital for caring for Cody.
“The whole team went above and beyond to make sure Cody had the best chance of survival. Myself and my husband will forever be grateful.”
She added: “I planned the walk from Ninewells to the Golden Jubilee to represent the journey Cody took and to raise not only money for this amazing team, but also to raise awareness of this life-threatening condition.”
Anne Marie Cavanagh, Nurse Director at the Golden Jubilee, said: “Our amazing medical and nursing staff do a first class job, with our Critical Care teams looking after patients at the worst point in their lives.
“We’re delighted to hear that Cody is on the road to recovery and we wish him all the very best as he continues on that journey.
“We are extremely grateful to Alyson and her supporters for raising such a fantastic sum of money and congratulate her on completing her Jubilee Jaunt.”
Notes to Editors
Severe sepsis accounts for 37,000 deaths annually in the UK. That’s more than bowel cancer, breast cancer and prostrate cancer combined.
Caught early, the outlook is good for the vast majority of patients. It is crucial not to delay seeking medical attention, phone NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.
