Stacey Brown, 36 from South Shields has raised £23,308 for Newcastle Hospitals Charity following the death of her husband Chris.
Chris was only 37 when he was involved in a road traffic accident while driving his motorbike home from work earlier this year. The Great North Air Ambulance Service attended the scene but he was driven to Newcastle’s Royal Vicotria Infirmary. Chris sadly died after three days in intensive care.
Stacey explained: “The doctors tried to save him but his injuries were just too much for his body to handle. To learn that my husband wasn’t coming home and our kids were not going to see their king again broke me in two. I had no idea how I was going to explain this to our kids, it was a moment of pure dread.”
Memory boxes created in Chris’s final days meant an incredible amount to his daughters, 12-year-old Harlo-Rose and 7-year-old Haylan. To say thank you for this small act of kindness, Stacey channelled her grief into fundraising – to help other families going through bereavement.
This summer Stacey was joined by over 50 people as she climbed the Yorkshire Three Peaks – naming this ‘Chris’s Last Hike’ as the pair had planned to tackle the climb themselves. Stacey’s determination and generosity have touched many hearts and she continues to be immensely grateful to everyone who has donated to her fundraiser.
Stacey said: “I would just like to thank everyone who has supported me and the girls during this time. It was amazing to see so many people turn out for the hike, although it was an emotional day, focusing on the fundraising has really helped me through this time.
“I had the best years with Chris as everyone who knew him did, he would be so proud that I’m turning my grief into a positive and powering through for our girls, raising money in his memory.”
Vanessa Middleton, fundraising lead at Newcastle Hospitals Charity said: “We send our heartfelt condolences to Stacey, Harlo-Rose, Haylan and all Chris’ family and friends. Fundraising in memory of a loved one is an inspirational way of their memory and we are so grateful to Stacey and everyone who has fundraised alongside her, their support will make a real difference to patients and families across Newcastle Hospitals.”
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity for Newcastle Hospitals funding projects to support patients, staff and the wider communities.
To donate to Stacey’s fundraiser visit her GoFundMe page.
To find out how you can fundraise for Newcastle Hospitals Charity, please visit the fundraising section of our website.
