Grateful dad gearing up for epic cycle from London to Burnley for Alder Hey Children's Hospital

A grateful dad is planning to cycle from London to Burnley to raise money for Alder Hey Children's Hospital as a thank you for its help caring for his little boy who suffers from a rare medical condition.
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Paul Cunliffe, from Reedley, will cycle 233 miles from the London Eye to Burnley in September after a difficult year for his family during the pandemic.

Six-year-old son Samuel suffers from a rare medical condition called Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome (BOR) alongside facial palsy, microtia and an undiagnosed condition affecting his legs.

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The brave Briercliffe Primary School pupil has already received a kidney transplant from dad, who is now planning for his epic ride.

Samuel Cunliffe will be cheering his dad onSamuel Cunliffe will be cheering his dad on
Samuel Cunliffe will be cheering his dad on

The cycle will be a huge challenge for Paul who has been shielding throughout most of last year following his kidney donation in December, 2019. Training has mainly been done indoors as a result.

Paul explained how complications following the transplant heaped extra pressure on the family.

"We always knew from birth that Samuel would require a kidney transplant and in 2019 his kidneys started to deteriorate. With myself being the live donor we were all set for the transplant in October of that year, but whilst on dialysis, Samuel developed peritonitis," he said.

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"We happened to be at a one of his appointments at Alder Hey when he very quickly became ill, but due to the speed and response of the nurses, we were lucky enough to catch this before we set off on our journey home.

Samuel received a hospital visit from celebrities including actor John ThompsonSamuel received a hospital visit from celebrities including actor John Thompson
Samuel received a hospital visit from celebrities including actor John Thompson

"Thankfully, he came through this and in December of 2019, despite complications in theatre, he had his transplant and we just managed to get him home for Christmas - the best present of all!"

Paul, who grew up in Nelson and attended Walton High, is a keen house music DJ and has already held online fund-raising events.

The 37-year-old said: "I have a few friends in London which is why I decided to cycle from there. I hope to do around 90 miles a day. I wanted to do something big and raise as much money as I can for this amazing place.

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"I cannot express just how hard the doctors and nurses work and how they consistently go above and beyond despite the challenges they face daily - and always with a smile.

Paul and SamuelPaul and Samuel
Paul and Samuel

"They save countless lives, including my son's, so we can only do our little bit to say thank you by donating whatever we can and making a little difference to those who need them."

To support Paul visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cycle4alderhey.