A LOVING husband whose wife died from a brain tumour has raised over £2,000 for Sue Ryder Thames Valley.
David Bingham, 54 from Hurst, took part in the Thames Marathon, a gruelling 13.5km (8.4 mile) swim from Henley to Marlow.
He gave up his job as an accountant to look after his wife, Sue, a primary teacher, who died in March aged just 53.
He said he took up wild swimming to help his own mental health and to feel part of the community again after becoming a full-time carer for Sarah, four years ago.
“When I stopped work, I lost my routine and all my regular contact with people. Sarah could not get out of bed particularly early when she was poorly, so it gave me the chance to go out in the morning to meet some people and swim which has been good for me in lots of ways,” he said.
“Three years ago Sarah was diagnosed with glioblastoma, but after a craniotomy she regained a lot of movement on her right side. The years following we were able to lead fairly normal life, and Sarah was able to see our daughter get married.
“In June last year, the doctors said there was nothing more they could do and at that point Sue Ryder stepped in. Sarah’s Sue Ryder Nurse, Michelle, saw her straight away and continued to support us right up until she died.”
He continued: “Michelle was always on the end of a phone which was important, particularly for Sarah because when you are told there is nothing more to be done, it’s important to know that there is still someone there to support you.
“Have that support from Sue Ryder meant for the last four or five weeks of her life I could focus on Sarah.”
Wanting to continue his wild swimming adventures and give something back to Sue Ryder after the care his wife received, David decided to enter the Thames Marathon.
David said: “I have done long swims before but never like this. It was loads of fun to be amongst so many people who love swimming. My shoulders were sore for the last part but thanks to a friendly flow in the river I got through in four hours 16 minutes and raised more than £2,000 for Sue Ryder.
“Everything you hear about how wild swimming makes you feel is true. You have a real connection to nature. There are moments when you are swimming when you are so cold, but it makes everything feel very real. The group of people I swim with are a proper community who genuinely look out for each other.
“Everybody has things going on in their lives and it’s good to have a group of people that you can talk to. Being in the river and being with those people is like a safe space.”
If you want to take on your own challenge you can contact the Sue Ryder Thames Valley fundraising team by emailing thamesvalley.fundraising@sueryder.org or call 0118 955 0433.
