Hospital inspires Anita to take on Himalayan trek challenge
A woman whose husband survived cancer thanks to the RUH is preparing to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to raise funds for cancer services at the hospital.
Anita Hodgson, who will be taking on the India Dalai Lama Trek 2024, began fundraising for the hospital’s charity (RUHX) after her husband’s cancer diagnosis on New Year’s Eve in 2010.
Her husband received “first class treatment” throughout, following emergency surgery, and together they joined an RUH fundraising group to raise funds for the soon-to-open Dyson Cancer Centre at the hospital.
Anita, from Chippenham, said: “My husband had total confidence in everyone we saw during those first few frightening days.
“Fundraising for the RUH has been an important part of our lives since my husband’s cancer but what I love is being able to engage people into a conversation about what the charity has achieved in improving services within the hospital.”
As part of Anita’s fundraising, she will be making teddy bears as memory keepsakes for people who have lost a loved one.
“Deciding to undertake the Dalai Lama Trek challenge will take me outside of my comfort zone and be a massive personal achievement; but although on a personal journey, I will be banging my fundraising drum for these months leading up to it and sewing many a teddy bear!”
The India Dalai Lama Trek, taking place in November, will see a group of supporters, all raising funds for the the RUH, travel to the foothills of the Himalayas for five days of trekking through the beautiful mountainous region of northern India.
■ If you are interested in joining Anita and the rest of Team RUHX on this adventure, you can find out more by heading to https://ruhx.org.uk/ events/india-trek.