A baby who fell critically ill while on holiday is the motivation behind an epic challenge two friends are about to embark on together.
Isaac Hoey was just six weeks old when he suddenly stopped breathing while on holiday in the Lake District. His parents worked fast to save their little boy by administering CPR and calling for medical help, which arrived quickly on scene.
Paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service and a paramedic and doctor team from the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) responded to the call and Isaac was administered oxygen by GNAAS' critical care team. He was then airlifted to the paediatric intensive care unit at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, where it was revealed that Isaac was suffering from bronchiolitis.
He was put on a ventilator and spent three days in intensive care followed by four days of rest before he was eventually allowed to come home and has since made a good recovery.
Isaac's uncle, Ryan Noble, from Sunderland, said: "I find it incredible that GNAAS is a charity and not government funded. Without them Isaac wouldn't be around, we owe everything to them."
Now, Ryan, 42, has teamed up with his friend Ed Jones, 47, to take part in an outdoor endurance challenge on July 27 with the aim of raising £2,000 for GNAAS. Together they will be cycling, kayaking and hiking from their hometown of Sunderland to the top of Helvellyn, in the Lake District, in under 16 hours.
Ryan said: "I like to do things which are different, and I love the Lakes. When I saw a kayak in Costco I joked with my missus and said I was going to buy it, but she didn't let me. I then kept saying 'it's lovely weather for a kayak.'
"Eventually my friends bought me a kayak for my 40th birthday so I decided I was going to do a challenge involving cycling and kayaking and I roped my friend Ed into doing it. I thought it was fitting to do the challenge in the Lakes, as that’s where Isaac’s incident happened."
Ryan is no stranger to cycling challenges, after previously raising money for charity by cycling to Berlin and Prague, but this is the first time he will be incorporating a kayak into one of his fundraising challenges.
He said: "The cycle will see us ride just shy of 135km over the North Pennines, taking in around 7000ft of climbing to arrive in Pooley Bridge. The kayak will see us paddle our way in a two-man kayak from Pooley Bridge along the full length of Ullswater covering around 12km.
"The hike will take us up from Glenridding to the peak of the famous Helvellyn summit at 3120ft and 6.5km."
More than £1,000 has already been raised for GNAAS, and Ryan will also be taking part in the Great North Run, alongside Isaac's parents in September.
To sponsor Ryan and Ed visit this link.
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