Walker to thank hospital

11:16am Thursday 13th March 2008

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A BISHOPSTOKE man who feared he might never step out again is to go on a sponsored walk to raise funds for the stroke unit at Winchester hospital.

Dudley Rigden, 55, suffered a brain haemorrhage 13 months ago which left him unable to walk, with memory problems and confused.

He is to set out on the 10-mile sponsored walk this Saturday (March 15) to thank the doctors and nurses at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital who aided his remarkable recovery.

Following neurological treatment at Southampton General Hospital, Mr Rigden was sent for rehabilitation to the Romsey Road's hospital's stroke unit.

The stroke unit is rated among the top 10 in the country for quality of care.

Mr Rigden's wife, Sylvia, said: "Dud received such caring treatment in Winchester we are sure it speeded up his recovery. We wanted to do something positive to help all the staff on the ward with their work."

Joining him on the walk which starts at the hospital at 12.30pm will be friends and family as well consultant nurse, Avril MacDonald, who is in charge of the unit.

Mayor of Winchester Chris Pines will also accompany Mr Rigden as far as Bishopstoke where the former stroke patient will be met by the Mayor of Eastleigh Roger Smith.

The money raised will be used to buy an infra-red radiation thermometer, a portable machine for measuring oxygen saturation levels in the blood and a cardiac monitor.