Former Transplant Patient To Tackle London2Paris
Nick Topley first took up cycling to aid his recovery from a Bone Marrow Transplant in 2012
Simon Turner will be walking between all the major football stadiums in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country over the course of 3 days, in memory of his son Ed, who sadly passed away after a battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.
Ed was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2020, and he was then treated for 2 years at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where sadly, he lost his battle against the disease at the end of 2022.
“Ed Turner was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in late 2020, a few weeks after his 16th birthday. Over the following two years he underwent multiple courses of treatment at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, including two stem cell transplants.
“For much of that time, there was real hope that he would beat the disease. Sadly, despite a courageous fight, Ed passed away in December 2022. Ed received wonderful care from the haematology team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.”
“Over the two years of his illness, he received numerous treatments, including some drugs that have only become available recently. While the drugs didn’t save Ed in the end, they kept him alive for much longer than would otherwise have been the case. I want to fundraise for Cure Leukaemia because I want to help get new treatments to those who need them. I want to fight the disease that took my son.”
Simon will be walking between many different clubs in Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country over the course of 3 days, from Saturday 6th May to Monday 8th May.
He’ll be visiting some of the different and iconic football stadiums, including Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Birmingham City.
Simon made the choice to walk between all of the football stadiums for Ed, as despite supporting different clubs, they were united in their love for football.
“I want to do a fundraising event for Cure Leukaemia in memory of Ed and a walk between football grounds seemed very fitting. This is because football is very popular within our family. Ed was a fan of Aston Villa, while I have followed Walsall FC for over 40 years and my father has supported the same club for over 60 years.”
“Friends and family will be joining me on the walk, some of whom support other football clubs whose stadiums we will visit, such as Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.”
“Football fans of different clubs often come across as rivals, but this walk will show that we can unite around a common cause. The final leg of the walk will be from Walsall’s stadium to Aston Villa’s stadium, which also feels fitting given that I follow Walsall and Ed supported Villa.
“I’m looking forward to it. I am in my early fifties so walking 40 miles across three days will be a physical challenge. I’m confident of completing the walk but it will stretch me. I expect it will be an emotional three days, given that we’re walking in memory of Ed, but I want it to be a celebration of his life, not a cause of sadness.”
Saturday 6 May
8.30am – Start walk at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich Albion
12.00pm – Arrive at Bilston Town
1.45pm - Arrive at Molineux, Wolverhampton Wanderer (in advance of their fixture against Aston Villa, which will kick off at 3.00)
Sunday 7 May
10:30am - Start walk at ArmCo Arena, Solihull Moors
3:30pm - Arrive at St Andrews, Birmingham City
Monday 8 May
9.30am - Start walk at Rushall Olympic
11.15am - Arrive at the Poundland Stadium, Walsall (in advance of their fixture, which will kick off at 12.30)
2.45pm - Leave the Poundland Stadium, Walsall
6.15pm - Arrive at Villa Park, Aston Villa
