A 15-year patient is doing a sponsored walk challenge this Saturday, 8 May, to raise funds for the Opthalmology department at the James Paget.
Ryan, 15, will be walking from his home in Lowestoft to the Eye Clinic at the James Paget – a distance of about eight miles – to raise money for the team, and they plan to put the funds raised towards purchasing an iCare Tonometer. This piece of equipment checks pressure in the eye without the need for anaesthetic drops and is more comfortable for children, so Ryan will be helping young people using the service in future.
Ryan was born prematurely at 24 weeks and had to have multiple eye operations. Since then he has had to have regular checks and, after moving to Lowestoft, he will be attending our eye clinic.
He says; “I want to help the eye department out as much as I can, so have pledged to walk from my home in Kirkley area all the way to James Paget Hospital. This is no easy task for me as I currently cannot walk outside independently or unaided. I will start training for this challenge and my parents will walk with me on the day.”
If you’d like to cheer Ryan on during his challenge, you may spot him on his route which will start on the promenade at Kirkley around 10am. He will walk down to and across Lowestoft’s Bascule Bridge onto Waveney Road, turning right at John Gross and heading to Ness Point, walking along the promenade all the way to the Denes car park, then onto Links Road.
He will then turn right onto Corton Road, going through The Street at Corton Village, before turning right 'off road' before the Church and walking along the pathway beside the cliffs all the way to Hopton. At the end of the holiday complexes, he will then turn left and then right onto Warren Road, between the Gorleston Golf Club, then left onto Links Road, Gorleston. At the roundabout he will then turn right and walk along to the James Paget, with his estimated time of arrival at the hospital around 2pm.
You can find out more about Ryan, and sponsor his walk, via our charity website here; https://www.jpaget-charity.org.uk/fundraisers/ryans-walk-challenge