Every step means so much to me, Sam tells runners
Student sends good luck message to fundraisers
An 18-year-old who suffered multiple organ failure during a race was released from hospital the day friends held a fundraising run for the medics who helped him.
Sam Bartholomew spent more than five weeks being cared for after collapsing just 200m from the finish line of a 10k.
But on Monday, the Invicta Grammar School student returned to his home in Rectory Lane South, West Malling, as friends and family were preparing to undertake their own 10km to raise money for King’s College Hospital Charity.
Although he was not able to attend, Sam did post a message of support on Facebook, saying: “Hey everyone, good luck for tonight. You’ve all made this entire episode easier for me and every like, message, and step tonight means so much.”
About 50 people took part in the run, which started at Sweatshop Maidstone at Newnham Court Shopping Village and almost doubled the £400 target.
The former Aylesford Bulls rugby player was first taken to
‘We would really like to thank all of his friends who organised this run’
Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford, on August 5 after falling seriously ill near the end of the race at Gravesend Cyclopark.
He was later transferred to King’s College Hospital in London when consultants established his liver was the major issue.
He spent three weeks in an induced coma in a specialist liver intensive care unit, but is deter- mined to get better and return to running.
Terry Bartholomew, Sam’s father, said: “He’s at home not doing an awful lot really, as at the moment his liver and kidneys are still recovering.
“We would really like to thank all of his friends that organised this run. Sam wished he could have been there.”
He received his AS-level results while he was in hospital, attaining two A grades and two B grades.
Although he still dreams of going to university to read history or classics, his father says he might have to take some time out before doing his A-level exams.
“He needs time to recover, and obviously he wants to go back to school, but the longer he is away, the more difficult it will be for him to do his exams this year.
“We’ll be talking to the school next week, but he might have to wait until next year,” he said.