Marking the anniversary of the passing of a loved one can be a challenging time. But Donna McEnery, along with her daughter Esme, wanted to do something positive to mark the occasion by raising funds for Sheffield Hospitals Charity in memory of her Mum.

Donna, 40, took part in an incredible challenge which saw her set off to walk 10km across the hilly Peak District – and what made it even more difficult was that she was pushing her 13 month old baby daughter, Esme, in her pushchair all the way! By the end, Donna and Esme had walked 15km as a result of a detour to make the route accessible by pram.

But Donna was motivated to do her bit and nothing could have stopped her – because this challenge was in memory of her late Mum, Marie Fenn. Donna was raising funds to be spent on Brearley 4’s Respiratory Support Unit at the Northern General Hospital after staff there cared for Marie when she was at her most vulnerable.

“The individuals, including Dr Lawson and the team at Brearley 4, who cared for my Mum were just amazing. They continually went above and beyond for her as well as providing support to me and my family.

We will always be so truly grateful, especially as they ensured that Mum died peacefully, pain-free and with her family around her. The staff team there also made it possible for Esme to get to meet her Nanan shortly before she passed away.

“We wanted to do our bit to say thank you and this is just a small way of doing that. The Peak District, especially when pushing a baby, was definitely a real challenge to walk around. Chatsworth was the last place that I got to take Mum before she got ill so it holds special memories. The work that Sheffield Hospitals Charity does to support the NHS is Sheffield is fantastic and so we couldn’t think of a better reason for doing it. 

“I remember discussing this idea with Mum in her final days, and she thought it was fabulous. So I know how grateful she would be, and Esme and I would be of the support that people show.”

Donna is raising funds on his justgiving and he has already raised over £2,500. But we want to help her raise even more! So if you want to support Donna (and Esme), please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/donna-mcenery