Bristol boy to walk for 12 hours overnight in aid of children’s hospital that saved his life
A nine-year-old boy from Bristol who was born with two holes in his heart is set to embark on a mammoth walk to raise money for the children’s hospital that saved his life.
Barney Thomas will be accompanied by his father Darren Thomas, 36, and his godfather Bradley Hackett, also 36, as they tackle a 12-hour 'midnight march' through London overnight.
The trio, who have taken on three fundraising challenges in the past, are raising money to provide play and gaming equipment for Bristol Royal Hospital for Children after Barney was born with two holes in his heart.
He had a “life-saving” operation when he was 11 months old and has continued to give back to the hospital with his charitable efforts.
“I’m nervous and excited, and I reckon the hardest part will be staying awake,” Barney said.
“I had two holes in my heart when I was a baby and they (Bristol Royal Hospital for Children) gave me a life-saving operation.”
Their upcoming challenge will see them set off from London’s Paddington station at 6pm on 22 December, walking to iconic spots such as Wembley, Big Ben, The Shard, Tower Bridge and Brick Lane, before returning to the station at 6am to catch the first train home on 23 December.
Mr Thomas, an operations manager for Network Rail, said: “I’m really proud that I’ve got a little boy that cares.
“He takes great pride in his fundraising and we always look forward to the day together.”
To prepare for the challenge, Barney said he will be staying up all night on 21 December and then sleeping throughout the day on 22 December.
When asked what will motivate him, Barney said he will “put some Oasis on”, with Mr Thomas adding: “He loves Liam Gallagher.”
Mr Thomas said Barney was one-month-old when two holes were detected in his heart.
He had an operation to seal them 10 months later, with Mr Thomas saying that Barney “woke up straight away” after the procedure.
“It was as if somebody flicked a switch, his face was red and he ate a whole Twister ice lolly – he was really happy,” he said.
“We were really grateful to the children’s hospital and the charities that work in conjunction with them.”
To find out more information, visit Barney’s fundraising page.