Soldier walks 26 miles in nine hours to fund treatment
A father-of-four fighting a terminal brain tumour walked a midnight marathon to raise cash to prolong his life.
Ian O'Keefe, a sergeant in the Military Provost at HMS Sultan in Gosport, walked 26 miles in nine hours.
In doing so he raised thousands of pounds which will go towards paying the 15,000 needed for the Avastin drug treatment he hopes will extend the time he has left with his family.
Sgt O'Keefe was joined by about 30 friends and colleagues for the walk which started at midnight on Saturday. He crossed the finishing line at 9am yesterday.
He started and finished the mammoth walk at Stokes Bay, Gosport, after going through Fareham, Titchfield, Hill Head, Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent.
When the 38-year-old wearily crossed the finishing line, he told The News it was tough going, but he always knew he could do it.
'After about 20 miles I hit a bit of a wall, it was really hard going and I was struggling,' he said.
'It was very psychologically hard and tiring because I was walking through the night.
'I kept on thinking that I should be in bed. There was a lot of pressure and towards the end I was so tired and I was really starting to feel the strain.
'It was certainly harder than I thought it would be but I needed to raise the money and I wasn't going to stop.
'I'm just not the type of man to give up – I just keep battling on and going until I can't go anymore.'
He hoped to finish the walk at 8am yesterday, but the struggle of the last few miles delayed him by an hour.
Sgt O'Keefe doesn't yet know how much the walk raised, but donations have flooded in over recent days and he believes it will be in the thousands.
After completing the walk, he had a bacon sandwich with friends and family before going home to have a celebratory drink and to catch up on some sleep.
15,000 TO PROLONG LIFE
Sergeant O'Keefe, from Lee-on-the-Solent, found out he had a deadly brain tumour after he went to the opticians with an aching eye.
The tumour was removed and he went through months of chemotherapy only to be told that doctors cannot save him.
The drug Avastin can shrink tumours and could give him three more years. But it costs 15,000 for a six-month course and the NHS may not pay for it as it is not on the approved drugs list.
Gosport council leader Dave Smith is organising a fundraising evening at Thorngate Halls on Friday, April 10.
And the Isle of Wight-based Brain Trust has lent its backing, setting up a bank account and offering him advice.
To make a donation to Ian O'Keefe's treatment costs call him on 07929 672412.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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