Derek and Stewart’s Marathon Walk Around The Berwick Town Walls 2023

On Sunday 27th of August, 2023 Derek Morton and Stewart Brown undertook a “26.2 mile Berwick Walls Marathon”, making 21 laps of the Berwick Elizabethan Walls. In total £2080 was raised and split between Berwick Cancer Cars and the baby Austin-Edward appeal fund.

Members of the Berwick and District Cancer Support Group, along with baby Austin-Edward’s family and other supporters and well-wishes joined Derek and Stewart, and made several laps of Berwick’s beautiful Elizabethan Town Walls.

Our huge thanks to Derek and Stewart once again for their wonderfully successful fundraising for two local causes and to all those who donated and joined them on the day.

Derek contacted us to tell us why he and Stewart had chosen this year’s two fundraising recipients:

“Berwick Cancer Cars transports patients who have been diagnosed with cancer to the hospitals or treatment or appointments, they are picked up from their homes taken to the related hospital, and accompanied to the ward by the driver, once the treatment / appointment has finished the driver will meet them at the ward and be transported back to their home again.

Berwick Cancer Cars is run by a team of dedicated volunteers and have been proudly helping people in our community for over 30 years. They rely on donations and fundraising and have a brilliant fundraising committee that organises events and functions – also the people of Berwick and surrounding areas are great supporters of Berwick Cancer Cars and do all sorts of events to support this wonderful charity.

The parents of Austin-Edward who live in Berwick (Beth and Cameron) and are raising money for their son Austin-Edward who was born on the 2nd of May 2023 at 29+2days gestation via an emergency c-section after he became extremely distressed which was identified via ctg monitoring. After birth he required 12 days of breathing support by cpap/ventilation/low flow oxygen. Then we went on to have an 8-week-long stay in hospital with him where it was identified via cranial ultrasound that Austin had sustained brain damage. He was diagnosed with grade 3 Bilateral cystic periventricular leukomalacia (the second most severe form) essentially Austin has holes in his brain on both sides. 

“We were told our beautiful baby boy will have cerebral palsy and the likelihood is that it will be moderate to severe with motor and learning difficulties.”

His parents have obviously gone on to do extensive research into his condition and want to do everything possible in their power to give him the best possible outcome we know that early intervention is key for children like Austin and will give him the best chance maybe at able to crawl, walk, talk in the future. However, it is not going to be possible for them to solely alone to fund everything he needs right now and especially in his first year. We are wanting a lot of different therapies and people involved in his care. And treatment and this involves going private. Furthermore, there are many beneficial therapies out there for Austin and specialist equipment that he can receive can only be accessed through fundraising for him as the NHS (which we are very lucky to have) is limited.

On what they can offer. Austin will need lifelong care/therapies/treatment many of which are crucial before his brain reaches full development. His parents want to be able to access all of this to enable him to live life to the fullest. 

If anyone would like to donate to these to wonderful causes, please follow the JustGiving Page link at the bottom of this page!

Every little helps and is so appreciated no matter how large or small or even just sharing this page to enable it to reach more people.

If anyone would like to join us on the day to walk a lap or two with us, we would be delighted – we will start at 6 am and finish at approx. 4 pm.

You can join us anywhere on the walls when you see us.

Thank you all so much!

Derek Morton and Stewart Brown.”

If you would like to show your support please visit Derek and Stewart’s JustGiving Page :

https://www.justgiving.com/page/derek-and-stewart-marathon-walk-2023

Follow this link to read the Northumberland Gazette article: https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/news/people/another-marathon-effort-in-berwick-for-good-causes-4271859