My mum was given just days to live but she’s a fighter and ended up staying at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for months and throughout it all, she always had a smile on her face.
I stayed by her side for her final months and some of the happiest times were at Birmingham St Mary’s. She didn’t want to go to the Hospice but after a nurse came to the home and spoke with her, she agreed to go in for some respite care.
We had an amazing time at the Hospice, I thought it was brilliant that I could go into the garden and get some fresh lavender for my mum. She also loved seeing the dog that came in along with the donkey, which is all part of the Hospice’s animal therapy treatment.
Seeing the support Birmingham St Mary’s gave, I wanted to do something. I love my martial arts, I teach thai boxing, and I go to the gym every day so I’ve got good fitness. Having crawled 2 miles for a friend who had passed away, I decided to get on my hands and feet again but this time for the Hospice I went up Snowdon’s longest route, the Llanberis Path – 7,000m up!
Inspired by my mum’s strength, I set off with my two mates Paddy and Ryan, who I couldn’t have done it without. They carried food and emergency supplies, whilst I was on the floor crawling all the way up.
It took 2 days in total, 6 and a half hours of crawling on the first and 7 hours on the second. I met lots of people on my way up who cheered me on and stopped to find out what I was up to. Soldiers supported me, I got blessed and Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team came down to eye level to show their support.
I had deer-skin gloves and other clothing to help but it didn’t stop me getting scabs on the back of my knees and bruised knees. It was tough but nothing compared to what my mum had been through and if she could keep smiling, I could do the same.
It was amazing to reach the top in the end but having spent 2 days on Snowdon, I was keen to get off it, so I jogged down the mountain straight away – I didn’t even stop at the café at the top!
I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who’s donated to my page and having conquered Llanberis Path, I’m already planning what to tackle next!
Thank you Mick for crawling all the way up Snowdon for us, we’re all absolutely amazed by your strength and motivation! If you’ve been inspired by Mick and would like to support Birmingham St Mary’s too, please visit our events section.
