Karen’s marathon effort for Guardian Angels

7:57pm Friday 25th April 2008

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A COLOSSAL fundraising drive by marathon runner Karen Hardcastle has boosted The Press's Guardian Angels Appeal by a staggering £12,500.

This is the second largest donation to date and will be used to pay for a life-saving ventilator machine for seriously-ill babies.

Nurses on York Hospital's children's ward said they were overwhelmed by Karen's efforts, which have catapulted the appeal through the £250,000 barrier.

We now need only £50,000 before we reach our £300,000 target to fund a desperately needed high-dependency unit for children at York Hospital.

Karen, of Osbaldwick, in York, said: "I said right at the start that I was going to pull out all the stops, but I never imagined we would raise this much.

"I'm shattered, but I'm just pleased we've got the money and I want to thank everyone for their support and generosity.

"What we've been raising money for is really close to home and I think everybody just wants to see the end result."

The 46-year-old pharmacy assistant crossed the finishing line of the London Marathon in four hours 45 minutes.

But only three weeks before the big day, it was touch and go whether the mum-of-two would even make the start line.

She said: "I needed to have an operation - it was nothing serious, but if I hadn't had it done, I couldn't have done the race because the pain I was in was quite bad.

"All I wanted was to be able to run and my surgeon said he would have me back up on my feet.

"The race was tough. I hit the wall big time at about 19 miles, but there was no way I wasn't going to make it."

Karen and her next door neighbour, Lynne Wootton, have worked tirelessly over the past six months to bring in the £12,500.

They have also been backed by Breathe Easy York, who raised £1,000 for the fund, and the Yorkshire Freemasons, who donated £2,800.

The climax of their campaign was a charity gig at City Screen in York, where York band Comfort Zone performed the single Guardian Angel, which was released earlier this year in aid of our appeal.

Guardian Angels project nurse Maureen Augey said: "I think it is a marvellous achievement and we can't thank Karen enough for all her efforts - it is amazing what she has done.

"The ventilator machine will help babies with serious respiratory infections and it will mean they can stay in York rather than having to go to cities further away. It will make such a difference."

If you want to make a donation, send cheques or postal orders made out to The Press Guardian Angels appeal, to Guardian Angels, The Press, 76/86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN.