Luke’s mum provides inspiration for half marathon challenge
Luke Burgess is preparing to take on the SimplyHealth Great Birmingham Run on Sunday 13 October and is raising money to support the liver unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
Throughout Luke’s childhood his mum, Michele, struggled with her health and doctors were unable to diagnose what was wrong with her. By 2018, Michele’s health had deteriorated to the point where she was admitted to hospital, where she spent nearly three months before being transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
There, clinicians discovered that she had liver failure and she was placed onto the super-urgent waiting list.
Luke said: “At the same time that my mum was waiting for her transplant, I was graduating from the University of Bath. She was given special dispensation to leave the hospital for a day to come and watch me graduate which was really special.”
Michele was at the family home in Gloucestershire when she got the call at 1am to say that a liver had been found for her. The operation was a success and now, just over a year on, Luke is raising money for the ward that saved her life.
Luke said: “The support that my mum received on the ward and the work that all of the staff did to save her life was inspirational. It was an incredibly tough time for us all, but the support that they gave us all was amazing.”
Had Michele not had her transplant she would only have had around a week to live. This is the inspiration that Luke is going to be taking with him as he tackles the 13.1 mile half marathon.
Luke with his mum, Michele.
He said: “I wanted to raise money to support the research that is conducted into rare liver diseases at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. If it weren’t for the amazing team at QEHB my mum would not be here today, I hope that the money I raise will help other families who are going through the transplant journey.”
Michele said: “I’m so proud that Luke is raising money for the hospital that saved my life. I am now 100% recovered and I have never been in such good health, having suffered with illness for most of my life. I owe this to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and all of the amazing staff who treated me.”
Luke is no stranger to half marathons, and is hoping to finish the course in under 90 minutes! Roisin Mooney, Events Fundraising Officer at QEHB Charity, said: “On behalf of everyone at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham I’d like to wish Luke the very best of luck for the half marathon.
“It is inspirational that he is choosing to raise money for the Liver Foundation following his mum’s transplant. The money that he has raised will help us to continue funding the world-leading research that takes place right here in Birmingham.”