Dr Andrew Jacks' 'Journey Home' for Fisher House

Lt Col Dr Andrew Jacks is a Consultant ophthalmic surgeon in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC). Dr Jacks is now back in the UK after serving for three months in Afghanistan. He met up with QEHB Charity to discuss how he fundraised an amazing £13,825 for Fisher House.

Due to the world-class care carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, and the lessons learnt from the battlefield, servicemen and women often survive injuries today that they would have died from just a few years ago. But injuries sustained can be life-changing for both them and for their families. During uncertain times, families want to be with their loved ones and Fisher House is here for them: a ‘home away from home’ within walking distance of the hospital, providing a safe space for families to adjust and recover during this difficult time.

Dr Jacks said: “One of the main reasons why I chose to fundraise for Fisher House is because a lot of my patients have stayed at Fisher House since its opening”

“After talking with my wife one day I decided I would fundraise by cycling the exact linearly distance from Kabul to London on a static bike. The first month I was in Afghanistan, it was incredibly busy as the hospital was full of casualties, so I was originally doing 20-30 miles a day. Along with Deli and Beijing, Afghanistan is one of the most polluted places in the world so it was a bit of a struggle”.

Eventually Dr Jacks got back on track and completed his 3547.4 mile ‘journey home’. The total amount raised from the static cycling event was an amazing £13,825 which is the equivalent of 533 nights of accommodation for a family of four in Fisher House. In July of this year he will be retiring from the Army after serving in numerous parts of the globe including Pakistan, Kuwait, Africa, former Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland and America.

Dr Jacks has many plans to fill his time, one being cycling he said: “I want to take on a lot more cycling now I will have a little more spare time; I am going to be raising money for the eye department at QEHB.”

Despite raising an astonishing amount already, Dr Jacks has pledged to participate in Velo 2019 to raise even more for QEHB Charity. Velo is one of the biggest cycling events in the midlands, and will see thousands of participants ride for their chosen charity. Dr Jacks said: “Last Velo my friend and I completed it in about seven hours, this year I am quite a bit fitter so I am aiming for around the six hour mark”

If like Dr Jacks you want to take part in Velo, please click here