Coronavirus survivor Andrew Unwin and his dad Derek are going to cycle 35 miles, setting off from Darent Valley Hospital (DVH) where NHS staff saved his life when he was infected with COVID-19.

This is to raise money for Valley Hospital Charity to thank NHS staff for their hard work over the past 6 months against the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrew feels like he owes his life to the NHS staff at DVH where he suffered from two punctured lungs and had to spend 10 days in intensive care (7 of those of a ventilator) as a result of being infected with COVID-19. Andrew and Derek are going to set off from DVH at 9:00am on the 26th of September cycling a 35 mile round trip, stopping off at his half-way point at the O2 arena for refreshments then back to DVH. The father and son team have already raised 268% of their target making their fundraising total amount an amazing £1,610!

“The reason why myself and my Dad Derek are doing this bike ride is to raise money for the Intensive Care Unit and the High Dependency Unit at Darent Valley Hospital because they saved my life when I contracted COVID-19. I was taken to Darent Valley Hospital in the back of an ambulance on emergency blue lights, upon arriving at hospital I deteriorated rapidly and by my second day in hospital I was put onto the High Dependency Unit and then I was told the harrowing news that I was going to be placed into an induced coma the hardest part was saying goodbye to my wife and parents as I didn’t know if I would ever see them again.

The next thing I remember is waking up in the ICU after being in a coma for 10 days thinking to myself that I’m alive and I cried and cried and cried.

I was then moved to the HDU where I continued my recovery, I remember my nurse Charlie coming over too and saying do you want to give your family a call because your going home, I remember just bursting into tears with joy and relief.

When I left the hospital it was like a blur I could see my wife at the main entrance and again I burst into tears, the nurses from the HDU had come down to see me off and gave me a round of applause and were crying themselves.

I owe my life to them.”