A grateful Grandfather and Church elder, who recovered “miraculously” from Strep A and septic shock, is raising money for the hospice which helped save his life.
Harry Marsh spent a month on intravenous antibiotics and continuous oxygen in hospital, then had eight weeks of palliative care in a hospice after the illness struck last year.
The member of Bothwell Parish Church in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, has decided to do a five mile walk to raise £5,000 for St Andrew’s Hospice, Lanarkshire.
He will be joined on the walk by his parish minister, Rev Iain Majcher, and Rev Majcher’s wife and five children, as well as friends and hospice staff.
The 83-year-old, who turns 84 this month, paid tribute to his church friends and family who prayed for and supported him and his wife through the illness.
In an interview with Premier Christian News he said it is love and his faith in God which got him through his ordeal. He said: "That's the way I live my life, based on love..." Referring to the care of the hospice and his family, he recalled "They gave me so much attention, it was overwhelming,
"When you see love like that, you understand".
He has chosen to raise money for the hospice as a thank you for their "kindness". He told us: "The nurses and all the staff...just genuinely nice people. You know, you witness people going that extra mile for you."
Mr Marsh, who is a retired business management and development consultant, has four grandchildren. He has been training on a static bike at home on which he completed a previous fundraising challenge. He will undertake the actual event along the loch at Drumpellier Country Park, Lanarkshire.
Rev Majcher told The Church of Scotland: "Since I've known Harry he has shown me that age is never a barrier. I must admit that I wasn't totally surprised when he wrote to me telling me that he was going to walk five miles for St Andrews Hospice as this is who Harry is, always proving the world wrong.
"It seems like only yesterday when I visited him in the ICU at the end of last year and then earlier this year in the hospice when he was unable to sit himself up in bed, let alone walk. Miracles are often easy to overlook but no one can deny the miracle of Harry's journey back to health, and I, and so many others including Harry and his family thank God for this miracle."
