Kate gets on her bike to give back to hospital after father-in-law’s life-saving treatment

A business owner has embarked on a mission to cycle three miles a day for a month and a half to give back to the hospital that she said saved her father-in-law’s life.Mother-of-two Kate Clark will cover a total of 162 miles to raise funds for Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital which helped her father-in-law Derek Clark, 73, through a life-changing diagnosis.The challenge, which started in February, will continue until the end of March over a total of 54 days.

It comes after Derek was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, last year.As a result, his health took a severe turn when he faced breathing difficulties, leading the family to rush him to the QEH, where he was then diagnosed with pneumonia and sepsis. Throughout Derek’s treatment, Kate said she was deeply moved by the dedication and care exhibited by the clinicians and staff at QEH.In an effort to give back, Kate decided to channel her appreciation into a fundraising initiative, setting a target of £400 to support the hospital that played a pivotal role in her father-in-law’s recovery.Having almost completed her challenge, Kate has smashed her goal – raising a total of £420 to date.Kate, who also copes with the challenges of fibromyalgia, a condition causing chronic pain, remains undeterred in her commitment to the cause. She said: “I have some health challenges, so I’ve chosen what I hope will be achievable for me. We’re very thankful for the staff at the QEH.“Not only have they saved his life, but they have also been kind and compassionate to our family, taking time to make sure we understood what was happening and allowing us to spend as much time with him as we needed to.” Cathryn Abbs-Rowe, head of nursing for urgent and emergency care at the QEH, expressed her gratitude for Kate’s efforts.She said: “On behalf of A&E, we were very pleased to hear of the positive journey which Kate’s father-in-law had. “I would like to express wholehearted gratitude to Kate for taking part in this challenge.“The team appreciates her tremendous fundraising efforts and any donations made will be used to provide new equipment to benefit future patients.” If you would like to help support Kate during her challenge, you can find her fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/page/klcFor more information about the QEH charity, email charity@qehkl.nhs.uk or call 01553 613309