Wrexham woman to take on challenge in memory of late husband
A woman from Wrexham will walk two marathons in two days in memory of her late husband.
Bethan Scott, whose husband Dave passed away seven years ago, has made it her mission to raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice, which helped care for Dave in his final months.
Since his death in 2017, Bethan has raised well over €150,000 (approximately $171,000) in Dave’s memory. She has walked the Great Wall of China, cycled from Vietnam to Cambodia, trekked Machu Picchu in Peru, and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, all to raise funds for Nightingale House Hospice.
This year, she has already climbed Mt. Toubkal in Morocco, the highest peak in North Africa, trekked the Yorkshire Three Peaks, and completed a 26-mile one-day trek in the Lake District.
On the anniversary of his passing, Bethan, along with members of her family and close friends of Dave (known to everyone as DRS), gathered for a local walk in Dave’s memory.
This year, the anniversary walk will mark seven years since Dave’s passing, and Bethan wants to do something different and push the boundaries further.
She, along with several friends, will walk from Llandudno to Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham on Saturday, August 10, and Sunday, August 11.
The distance amounts to two marathons in two days, plus a little extra – 55 miles to be precise.
Dave passed away on August 12, 2017, at just 53 years old. He was born in Scotland and left school at 16 to join the Merchant Navy, traveling the world before joining Scottish Power, where he met Bethan.
Bethan said, “Dave spent time at an incredibly special place – Nightingale House Hospice in the heart of Wrexham. A hub for the community of Wrexham and a place where staff work tirelessly by focusing on the patient and their family… but they can only do this with our support.
"The day Dave passed away, I had a decision to make – to either stand still or move forward….
"The hospice supported Dave and me through an extremely challenging time. I have made it my mission to fundraise for the hospice ever since. Every year, I organize a walk in Dave’s memory on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of his passing. Over the years, the number of people has increased, which I believe is a testament to the love we shared for Dave and the support for the hospice.
"I always say life can change in an instant. Some good must come out of the loss of an amazing man. I believe we met for a reason, and now I can help a cause that helped Dave.”
"Dave was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, and despite a courageous journey through chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he became paralyzed and started using the hydrotherapy pool at the hospice.
"Dave had been super-fit – a runner and cyclist – so to go from being fit to then losing his mobility was tragic. Dave used the hydrotherapy pool at the hospice, which helped him to feel active and gave him that feeling of movement. He then became confident enough to use the day care facilities there. It became a lifeline for him. Dave felt at ease at Nightingale House and gained a lot of comfort from spending time there."
