William’s charity challenge for hospital that saved his life
BRAVE YOUNGSTER TAKING ON FOUR-MILE TREK – FOUR YEARS AFTER LOSING LEGS TO SEPSIS
A Seven-year-old boy who lost nine fingers and both his legs to sepsis has set his sights on a four-mile charity challenge.
William Reckless, from Huthwaite, was just three when he was struck down with the illness in January 2020.
He was put into an induced coma but suffered a cardiac arrest when he arrived at Queen’s Medical Centre from King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-ashfield. His parents were told to prepare for the fact he was unlikely to survive.
Mum Gemma said: “We were living every parent’s worst nightmare. When we first took him to hospital I thought we’d be home in a few hours with some antibiotics. We didn’t come home for two months.”
Miraculously, William pulled through, but not without his kidneys having failed, his lungs collapsing, his chest filling with fluid, brain injury and irreversible damage to his legs and hands. It meant he had to have all but one of his fingers and both legs amputated.
Four years on, the youngster has decided to mark the fourth anniversary of his amputations by completing a four-mile challenge in aid of Nottingham Children’s Hospital. He will walk two miles – on his prosthetic legs – and hand-cycle two miles, on March 3, at Kingsway Park in Kirkby-in-ashfield.
It will be the longest distance he’s ever walked. Prior to this, he has only done 1.2 miles with, as mum Gemma put it, “a lot of moaning!”
As well as mum Gemma, William will be championed by Gemma’s husband Mike and William’s sister Georgia. Other family and friends will also be down on the day to cheer him on.
Money raised will go to the Big Appeal for Nottingham’s Children Hospital. Launched by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, the fundraiser aims to fund improvements to facilities such as play areas and family rooms across Nottingham Children’s Hospital and its new Neonatal Unit.
Gemma said: “Whilst William was in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) we were given a room a short walk away, which was funded by Nottingham Hospitals Charity, so that we could grab a few hours’ sleep and a shower, but know we could be back at his bedside within minutes if the situation were to change. This meant everything to us, I couldn’t bear to be apart from him at that time.
“Since then, we have always said we wanted to do something to give back to Nottingham Hospitals Charity. They do such amazing work and it was because of them we were able to stay at the hospital, in a bedroom just down the corridor, in those early days and weeks he was in PICU, when the thought of leaving him was unbearable.”
So far, donations have already surpassed £4,000. You can donate at www.justgiving.com/page/williamsbig4