Why Paul has a mountain to climb
EMOTIONAL TREK TO THE ROOF OF THE WORLD FOR GRIEVING DAD
PAUL Pawson was enjoying his Las Vegas holiday when he received the call every parent dreads.
The Northumberland dad rushed to the airport after being told his son Ryan was suffering from meningitis in hospital.
And the desperate dad was on the escalator to check in his bags when he received a second call to say his son had died.
Now, grieving Paul has bravely opened up on the agony of losing his only son in a bid to raise awareness of the symptoms of the killer disease. He said: “It was the worst feeling in the world. “When I got told he had meningitis, I thought it was a flu-like bug he would just get over. It didn’t really sink in.
“I was looking forward to going back to see him. He had never been left at home alone before.
“It was so unexpected – it all happened within a couple of hours.”
Self-employed joiner Paul, from Choppington, was in the middle of a five-day break to celebrate partner Linsey’s 40th birthday when he received the devastating news.
Ryan passed away on October 27, 2016, at the age of just 20.
Paying tribute to his beloved son, Paul, 47, said: “Ryan was a big stocky lad. He loved the gym and was always working out there or at home.
“He loved his PC and online gaming. He loved animals and really did look after the pets we had.
“Ryan had served his time as a joiner but decided he wanted to work with animals.”
Animal lover Ryan was planning to apply to work at Whitehouse Farm Centre in Stannington at the time of his death.
Meningitis is the inflammation of membranes surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
The potentially killer disease can affect anyone of any age, and the condition can leave long-term consequences for survivors.
Paul paid a visit to the hospital’s chapel of rest to visit Ryan upon his return, but says the explanation he was given of Ryan’s death didn’t satisfy him. It took a visit from Steve Dayman, founder of
charity Meningitis Now, to give the dad the answers he needed.
Paul said: “He was the only person who sat down with us to explain what meningitis is. I found that very helpful because I knew my son had died but I didn’t know what meningitis was.
“When people asked me what had happened I wanted to be able to tell them.
“I was in a daze at the time and it was nice to talk to someone who had experienced this too and could tell us more information about the disease.
“Ryan was gone and life was never going to be the same again but I started to ask myself the question, ‘What would Ryan want me to do?’
More than two years on from losing Ryan, Paul decided to carry out an emotional trek on Mount Everest on behalf of the charity, which had provided him with valuable support.
He said: “Why Everest, I was asked over and over, and my reason was to get as close to heaven as possible. “I needed to feel closer to my son.” Leaving home on November 15, Paul summoned the strength to complete the challenge and raise more than £1,250 in the process. The driven dad unfurled a banner reading ‘Dad’s Trek for Ryan’ upon reaching the base camp, and revealed how his son gave him strength throughout the daunting challenge.
He said: “When I was by myself I would just sit and scratch Ryan’s initials in the rocks or I would see a wild dog and give it something to eat and tell it that it was off Ryan. I was thinking of him always.
“People say you find the strength you need to just do it and Ryan was my strength. When I got to the top I couldn’t control my emotions. I felt close to Ryan. He was definitely with me, and had been waiting for me to reach the top.”
Paul hopes by sharing Ryan’s story, he can raise awareness of the symptoms and dangers of meningitis.
The Everest Trek challenge was one of the first several he hopes to complete on behalf of Meningitis Now.
He also hopes to go to schools and workplaces to hold sessions in which Ryan’s story is told.
Paul’s fundraising page is justgiving. com/fundraising/paul-pawson1.