Gareth, Gethin, Helen and Eluned Daniel in the day room at Rookwood Hospital
A grateful father ran a half marathon to raise funds for the hospital that cared for his daughter following a devastating heart attack aged just 21.
Gareth Daniel, from Drefach near Cross Hands, took part in the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for the PROP Appeal at Rookwood Hospital.
Gareth, along with his wife Helen and son Gethin, recently presented staff with a cheque for £2,000 at Rookwood Hospital.
Their daughter Eluned, was just 21 when she had a heart attack which caused severe brain damage in June 2014. She was transferred from Neath Port Talbot to Rookwood Hospital to undergo a SMART Assessment, which is an assessment and treatment tool for use with patients who have profound brain damage.
Gareth said: “I decided to do the Cardiff Half Marathon at the last minute, to say thank you for the fantastic work they do at Rookwood.
“The staff have worked tirelessly to address Eluned’s needs, nothing has been too much of a challenge for them.
“The care they’ve provided and the support they’ve given to us as a family has been absolutely fantastic. The compassion they have shown us has been absolutely amazing. We’ll really miss the staff when Eluned leaves the Unit.”
Georgina Jones, Occupational Therapist at Rookwood said: “I’d like to thank Gareth and the family for raising funds for the PROP Appeal at Rookwood Hospital. We’re really grateful for this contribution and we’re looking forward to buying things to brighten up the day room on their behalf.”
The family set up a special fund, Cronfa Eluned Mair Daniel Trust, and the community came together and contributed what they could, pulling together funds to help Eluned and her family along the way.
Gareth added: “The community where we live has been really fantastic. Everyone has rallied round to raise money towards for Eluned’s care in the future.”
Many events were organised by friends, neighbours and various communities.
Following the SMART assessment at Rookwood Hospital, Eluned has now been transferred to a home where she will be given the round-the-clock care she now requires.
The PROP Appeal is part of Cardiff & Vale Health Charity, a fundraising charity which supports all the wards and departments of Cardiff and Vale hospitals and health centres.
To donate to the PROP Appeal please visit https://www.justgiving.com/propappeal/
