Marco Pelado, from Oxford’s Temple Cowley, is preparing to run in next year’s OX5 RUN for the Oxford Children’s Hospital. He wants to thank the staff who saved his five-year-old son Daniel’s life after a sudden stroke. 

In January this year, Marco’s ordinary day took a frightening turn when he received a call from Daniel’s school. Daniel had become unwell, vomiting repeatedly before collapsing and falling unresponsive. 

“His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he passed out,” Marco recalled. 

Paramedics arrived within five minutes and rushed Daniel to A&E. Daniel was moved to the resuscitation room, where doctors worked urgently to stabilise him. Blood tests and a Glasgow Coma Scale assessment were performed to determine the severity of his condition.  

Despite a CT scan, the cause of Daniel’s illness remained a mystery. The following day, an MRI scan revealed that Daniel had suffered a stroke caused by a blood clot on his brain. The news was devastating for the family, especially as Marco’s father-in-law had recently experienced a stroke with severe aftereffects. 

Daniel spent ten days in the Children’s Hospital, with Marco and his wife Joana taking turns staying by his side while also caring for their other child at home. Slowly, Daniel began to recover. The hospital’s physiotherapy team played a crucial role in his rehabilitation, helping him regain his strength and mobility. 

“The playrooms were his motivation,” said Marco. He was determined to walk there by himself.” 

Daniel has made remarkable progress and has returned to his physical abilities before the stroke. However, he continues to see specialists regularly as his development is closely monitored.

Inspired by the care Daniel received from the staff at the Children’s Hospital, Marco first ran in the OX5 RUN last year after spotting a poster in the hospital. He raised £500 to support the hospital and is now determined to surpass that amount in this year’s race.  

“This is my way of saying thank you to the incredible team who cared for Daniel during such a terrifying time,” said Marco.

You can support Marco by clicking here! 

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Will you join Marco, and a thousand others, on Sunday 23^rd March next year at Blenheim Palace at our OX5 RUN to help local children in hospital?

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