Above: Amy Baston after surgery, recovering at home, and at the Great North Run finish line
“I decided to run for Newcastle Hospitals Charity because in August 2021, the Neurosurgery team at the RVI saved my life.”
Amy Baston was always a very active person, enjoying long walks, runs, and skipping. So, it was worrying for her when she started having daily headaches, followed by difficulty with her memory.
On August 10th 2021, she went to Cramlington A&E, where on arrival she struggled to even say her name. Unfortunately, it was discovered that Amy had a 4cm abscess on her brain. She was rushed the RVI and put under the care of Mr Surash and his neurosurgery team.
Amy underwent a craniotomy to remove the abscess, before spending 11 days on ward 16. She was trained to do her own IV medication at home, meaning she could be released earlier to be reunited with her daughter Hope and partner Dan. It was shortly after this that she decided to take on the Great North Run for Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
Amy explained: “18 days after being discharged, I was sat on my sofa, with my IV antibiotics running through, watching the Great North Run 2021. I got very emotional watching the race…wondering if I’d ever be able to do something like that again. On that day I decided that I would run in 2022 and raise money for the RVI. I found Newcastle Hospitals Charity and signed up there and then. My partner also signed up, and he had never run more than 10K before.”
Above: Amy (R) and partner Dan (L) at the Newcastle Hospitals Charity Tent
“I cannot express my gratitude enough to the staff at the RVI, especially the neuro team, ward 16 staff, and the people who cooked my lovely meals. Running for the Charity was a way that I could give back. The NHS are worth their weight in gold, I can’t thank them enough.”
Amy raised more than £800 and has generously decided to take on the Great North Run for us again in 2023. You can support her here.
If you are running in 2023 for Newcastle Hospitals Charity – or one of our funds – and would like to share your GNR story, please fill out this form.
Want to join our 2023 GNR team? Sign up here!
I decided to run for Newcastle Hospitals Charity because in August 2021, the Neurosurgery team at the RVI saved my life.
Amy Baston GNR Runner
