A Royal Navy submariner walked around Great Yarmouth in diving gear today - as an “ode to a woman who lived and breathed” the town.
Ian Rose, 40, now lives with his wife and two children in Cornwall, but grew up in Yarmouth and attended Lynn Grove High School before joining the Navy aged 17.
His mum, Valerie Rose, who lived with her husband in Bradwell, recently died from an aggressive bout of cancer aged 66.
Due to restrictions around hospital visits on account of the pandemic, Mr Rose said one family member was able to spend one hour with her each day in the run up to her death, which was “painful” for his dad and siblings.
He said: “We couldn’t really celebrate her life properly in her final weeks. Visiting hours were so short, and she was only returned home for her last 48 hours before passing.
“Getting her home provided some relief - but she was constantly in pain and unable to communicate following a stroke.
“This 5km walk around Great Yarmouth for Macmillan started from where she was born, on Barkis Road, and went all the way along the seafront, up to the Market Place and onto Deneside.
“The point was to visit all the places she loved and which were important to her, while raising money for Macmillan so that others in mum’s position are able to receive support and palliative care.
“This was an ode to a woman who lived and breathed Great Yarmouth.”
Collectively, Mr Rose’s fundraiser achieved £4,086 on Just Giving, and raised £213 on Thursday alone.
He said: “We expected many more people to turn up to support us and mum, but the weather was horrific.
“We still managed to raise a fair bit though - and had people stopping their cars on the seafront to drop money in our tins.
“Including today, the total distance walked for the fundraiser is 99km combined. It’s been great fun - even with the rain hammering down on us.”
Mr Rose, who has been involved in missions to the Middle East and Bosnia, and has scuba-dived off the Caribbean and Great Barrier Reef, said he “always enjoyed coming back to Yarmouth”.
“My family have had stalls on the market for years. Everyone is really going to miss mum but I’m glad we could do this today in memory of her”, he said.
Donate at: https://10daychallenge.macmillan.org.uk/fundraising/run-for-mum2021
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