Man completes fundraising challenge in wheelchair for Borders General Hospital

  • Watch as Darren Thomson speaks on his fundraising challenge.

A Scottish Borders man has completed a fundraising challenge in his wheelchair to raise money for the Borders General Hospital.

Darren Thomson suffered a stroke six years ago and now uses a wheelchair every day. With the help of his support workers he travelled from Melrose to Selkirk, and then on to Galashiels and the home of his disability football squad.

He is raising money for the stroke ward at the hospital and for the disability football squad he plays for at Gala Fairydean Rovers.

Speaking about his experience of having a stroke, Darren said: "I started to get a sore head, I couldn’t feel my left side.

Darren Thomson is also raising money for Gala Fairydean Rovers disability squad. Credit: ITV

"In my head I knew what it was but I didn’t want to believe it. Basically I had a stroke and then I had a brain haemorrhage on top, which caused most of the damage. I had to learn to talk again, learn to sit-up, the way I see it is I think I am a cat with nine lives."

He says he wants to live his life to the fullest and give back to those who helped him throughout his journey.

He said: "I am raising money for the stroke ward at Borders General Hospital and also raising money for Gala Fairydean Rovers disability squad.

"If there wasn’t a stroke ward like this in the borders then it would be a lot more difficult for families to see their relatives down in the Borders where they would probably have to travel to Edinburgh. With the Gala Fairydean Rovers disability squad if I didn’t join them in 2014 then it may have been a lot different. I probably wouldn’t be here today."

Darren aimed to wear as many different Scottish Premiership football team's tops for the fundraising, although being a Hibs fan there was one kit he wasn't looking forward to wearing.

He said: “The toughest part is going to be putting on a Hearts top, being a diehard Hibs fan. You know what I am dreading it but I am just thinking it is for a good cause."

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