A North Wales nurse is to run the Anglesey Half Marathon in memory of her father after he sadly passed away after a battle with cancer.
Ceri Morgan, who works as an Intensive Care Nurse at Ysbyty Gwynedd, will take on the race in March this year to raise funds for the Wales Air Ambulance and Aran Ward in memory of her father, John Wyn Morgan.
Ceri and her family have already raised £1,200 through donations made at her father’s funeral, which has been shared equally between the ward and the charity.
Ceri and her family recently visited the Wales Air Ambulance base in Caernarfon.
She said: “We’ve had a really difficult few months as a family since losing my dad towards the end of last year.
“We were pleased to be able to visit the Wales Air Ambulance crew at the Caernarfon base to present them with a cheque and also Aran Ward to thank those staff who cared for my dad during the most difficult of times.
“I will be forever grateful to everyone who supported us and the care my father received. My experience has spurred me on to keep going and raise more funds for the ward and the charity, I want to make him proud.”
The Wales Air Ambulance needs to raise £11.2 million every year to keep its helicopters in the air and its rapid response vehicles on the road.
Training for the half marathon, which will take place on 2 March, is already in progress and Ceri has been running 5Ks to prepare herself for the challenge.
She said: “I’ve decided to set myself this challenge to give myself something to focus on and to raise funds at the same time. The Wales Air Ambulance was a charity close to my Dad’s heart and my family and I are so grateful for the treatment and care my dad received on Aran Ward, and I know he was grateful too.”
Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury. For the patient, this can mean hours saved when compared to standard care and is proven to greatly improve survival and early recovery.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
North Wales Regional Fundraising Manager for the Wales Air Ambulance, Deb Sima, said: “Thank you to Ceri, who despite having a busy job working as a nurse in the intensive care unit, has set herself the challenge to run the Anglesey half marathon in memory of her father.
“Ceri is raising funds for two important cause and we are extremely grateful she has chosen the Wales Air Ambulance. Fundraisers, like Ceri’s, will help keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road and ensure we continue to be there for the people of Wales 24/7.”
