Brampton man to celebrate half century with landmark trek for charity
Victor Sacks and his three-year-old son Noah, who inspired his plan for an 84-mile trek. Picture: HELEN DRAKE. - Credit: Archant
A Brampton man who wanted to do “something memorable” to mark his 50th birthday aims to raise £10,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) by walking the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall.
Victor Sacks will walk the 84-mile route, from Cumbria to Tyneside with eight friends over five days, from March 1-6.
He will be supporting the hospital where his three-year-old son, Noah, underwent life-saving open heart surgery in 2013.
Noah was diagnosed with a hole in the upper chamber septum of his heart in 2012 when he was a few months old, but initially surgeons believed he would require a non-urgent, routine operation.
But in January of the following year, things took a turn for the worse when a more serious heart defect was discovered during an ultrasound examination.
“The ultrasound guy did his thing and then went quiet,” said Mr Sacks. “He looked at us, then the screen, us, the screen and eventually said ‘Not only is there a hole, but blood is being shunted from one side of the heart to the other, one side of his heart is more than double the other ... and there is only so much inflation a heart can take before it goes bang’.”
Noah underwent a four-hour operation the following day and came home three days later. He is currently fit and well.
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Mr Sacks continued: “So how does a 5ft 10in man weighing 268lbs pay tribute to Great Ormond Street Hospital? I can’t score a winning goal, do the three peaks challenge, pay a million quid or run marathons.
“With the help of my friends Chris and Jackie I saw the perfect way to humbly thank all of those involved.
“We know we are lucky to have him alive, we saw every day how lucky we were when we were in Great Ormond Street Hospital.”
INFORMATION: If you wish to make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/victorsacks and for more information and to read the blog go to www.gosh5015.co.uk.
