Parents from Potters Bar have set up an epic 500k cycling challenge, to raise money for two charities who helped save the life of their 16-month-old daughter.
Tristan Allen-Davies will begin his cycle this Friday (July 26) in Norfolk, where he grew up, before finishing on July 30 at Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff where he married wife Ceri in 2018, all to raise money for The Sick Children’s Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The route will also take him from Barnet Hospital to Great Ormond Street Hospital, the same journey daughter Octavia, also known as Tavie, took when she fell seriously ill.
After being taken to Barnet Hospital with a high temperature, low energy and a worrying rash on her body, the 16-month-old was given antibiotics before being diagnosed with Strep-A, severe pneumonia and sepsis.
Her condition worsened to critical and she was rushed to Great Ormond Street, where she was admitted to Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, sedated and placed on a ventilator.
"Seeing our daughter so seriously ill and being told on multiple occasions that she might not make it was horrendous," said Ceri.
"Each day we had no idea whether Tavie would see the next morning. As new parents it was a devastating few weeks."
After being given much needed medication, Tavie spent the next 17 days on life support, but she had suffered damage to her brain and internal organs, with her right foot and ankle also being amputated.
During those harrowing days, Tristan and Ceri were supported with a place to stay by The Sick Children’s Trust at Guilford Street House, just minutes from the hospital.
"The care and support we received from Great Ormond Street and The Sick Children’s Trust was incredible. We’ll never be able to repay them for what they did for us, but I want to do something worthwhile to support both charities in return.
“I’ve never done anything like this before and haven’t even been on a bike in ten years until recently, but I wanted to do a real challenge," said Tristan.
While the impact of the illness will become clear later in her life, Tavie is now back home, has said her first words and relearnt how to crawl.
To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/tristan-davies-sct?ref=ridefortavie.com.
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