A SERIOUSLY ill pensioner who can only walk unaided for three minutes at a time is preparing for a gruelling five-hour sponsored charity walk in aid of the Somerset air ambulance.
Barry Boyce, 66, walks with a wheeled support frame and needs a 24-hour oxygen supply.
He plans to leave his home in Carhampton’s Carantoc Place sheltered housing development on the morning of Tuesday, October 1.
“My health is getting worse and this year is probably the last time I will have a chance of completing something I have wanted to do for a long time” said Barry, who suffers from advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“My problem is that I can only walk for a maximum of three minutes without needing a rest.
“On a practice walk near my home I found I can walk a tenth of a mile with just one stop so that I should be able to reach Morrisons in about five hours if the weather is not too hot or too cold – the temperature has a big effect on me.”
Barry has suffered from COPD for 20 years, and admits it was triggered by smoking. He has been permanently on oxygen for six years and will carry two portable canisters on his wheeled frame during the walk.
“Quite a number of people will be walking with me to give me encouragement and support and one neighbour will bring along my mobility scooter so that I can stop and have a rest on it when I need a break,” Barry said.
He has prepared for his walk by taking a six-week pulmonary rehabilitation course: “I think it has made a difference, but it’s still going to be a pretty tough challenge. Since I became, ill I’ve never done anything like this.”
His route will take him along the A39 cycle and footpath, via the Dunster underpass, to Morrisons on Seaward Way.
Barry can be sponsored through his Facebook page or online on Minehead Community Group.