A dad from Manchester has swum an amazing 33 miles and raised more than £5,000 for NorthCare, the official charity of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.
Daniel Adcock-Kirsh was so inspired by the care his two young children received on multiple visits to hospital, he wanted to find a way to give back, and set himself a personal challenge.
“Each time I took my daughters to hospital, in very distressing circumstances, the care, support and treatment we received was nothing short of heroic. I saw and heard first-hand the challenges the staff were facing in just trying to get on with their jobs, and I wanted to, in some small way, show my gratitude for those people who work tirelessly to keep us and our loved ones healthy.”
Daniel completed his English Channel solo swim in an incredible 14 hours and 9 minutes, in aid of the Children’s A&E services at Salford Royal Hospital, known as the PANDA Unit.
“The swim itself had it all”, he said, “a 1am start in near total darkness, night swimming, an unforgettable sunrise, glorious sunshine and turquoise waters, jellyfish stings, a seal and all manner of sea vessels to avoid! The final two-hour push to beat a very strong tide, choppy seas and headwinds in French coastal waters was very tough, particularly after 12 hours of constant swimming. Although the official distance from England to France is 21 miles, because of the tides I actually ended up swimming 33 miles in total. It was all worth it however when I finally touched land in France.”
Daniel was supported by his team on the pilot boat, including his brother-in-law, Aron Kirsh and Alison Buynkiewicz, and Uswim Adventure staff Karen and Dave Quartermain, who assisted with planning and guidance for the swim. He was also supported throughout and cheered on from home by his wife Tamara and daughters Carmen and Ivy.
Jess Pollard, Fundraising Officer for NorthCare Charity, said: “we would like to congratulate Daniel on his amazing achievement, and incredible fundraising total.
“The money raised will support our children’s A&E services to go above and beyond the NHS standard and continue to provide the great care that inspired Daniel to take on the swim. We’re so proud to have supported him through this journey and hope others will follow in his footsteps and challenge themselves to fundraise too.”
The team at NorthCare arranged for Daniel and his family to meet Lucy Gardner, Yazmin Harris and Liz Paul from the PANDA Unit so that they could be thanked personally for their donation.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated to my fundraising page. NorthCare Charity do amazing work supporting the NHS across Greater Manchester”, said Daniel.
“Your generosity has been overwhelming and the donations will make a big difference to many lives.”
You can still donate to Daniel’s fundraising page here.
To sign up to take on a fundraising challenge yourself, get in touch!