‘Whatever happens… show your kids you never give up’
Benjamin Napier’s family have suffered three bitter blows in the past few years. The kind of life-changing tragedy and challenges that would knock most people off their feet. You might survive one, but all three would have most of us asking, ‘ What’s the point?’
But this devoted father and husband’s resilience, strength and drive has guided his family and held them together.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, Benjamin, 41, from Dunbar, East Lothian, has now dedicated himself to fundraising, as he longs to give back to the people who supported him and wife Sarah in their darkest hour.
In 2007, Benjamin and Sarah’s daughter, Chloe, who was aged just one, passed away after a short battle with leukaemia.
Soon after losing his youngest daughter, grieving Benjamin discovered that he too had to fight for his life. He was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and then just as he was recovering, his wife Sarah suffered a devastating stroke. At one point the family were told to say goodbye to her. The stroke has left Sarah without movement in her right arm and very little in her right leg.
The family say it is Benjamin’s strength that has guided them forward and kept them feeling positive.
‘ Whatever life throws at you, it’s important to show your children you must never give up,’ says Benjamin.
The dad-of-four, always a keen runner, has turned his hobby into a way to fundraise – he has completed marathons, ultra marathons and one run that saw him cover 370 miles in 10 days.
He has raised over £20,000 for various charities, including Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland.
Sarah says, ‘Ben’s amazing. Whatever situation we have to deal with, he always shows strength and determination. He keeps us going with his positive attitude.’
Children Maya, 21, and Rory, 18, unanimously agree, ‘He’s amazing!’
‘ We all love him and he loves us, that’s the main thing,’ adds 10-year-old Roisin.