A Harrogate man who has been blind since the age of nine has raised £2,600 for three causes close to his heart after completing the Yorkshire Marathon last October. With the support of his guide, Darren McClintock, Andy completed the amazing achievement in 5 hours, 36 minutes.
Andy Wilson, who is Director of RolltheRock, a charity that he set up that works with young people and their leaders, had to have both his eyes removed at the age of nine after losing his sight due to retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer that affects the retina.
Along with RolltheRock, Andy raised money for Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, for both the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre and the Dermatology Unit at Harrogate District Hospital.
Andy was diagnosed in 2015 with two lots of melanoma and has had to undergo intensive operations, and had to have skin remover. Andy wanted to give something back to show his appreciation for their fantastic care so decided to take on the marathon.
Speaking about the run, Andy said: During the run, I remembered all the support and care I had been given from the wonderful staff at Harrogate Hospital. This gave me all the motivation I needed to keep running, and get to the end, knowing I was giving something back to those that got me through my treatment.
David Fisher, Community and Events Fundraiser at Harrogate Hospital and Community Charity, said: Andy is an inspiration to all and we are very grateful for his fantastic support. We are only able to make a difference to the patients, their families and the staff because of the generosity and commitment of our fantastic supporters like Andy!
