Marathon Man!

Paul O’Boyle, a Bournemouth school caretaker who suffered a bleed on his brain when he was hit by a drink driver five years ago, is to run 27 marathons in 26 consecutive days for a local hospice charity, Macmillan Caring Locally.

Paul O’Boyle, 56, from Boscombe, sustained fractures to his skull, ribs and collarbone when he was knocked off his bike in Wallisdown Road in July 2015.

The drunk driver was imprisoned for 15 months and banned from driving for three years and seven months.

Father-of-one Paul spent a month off work from his job at the Bishop of Winchester School, recovering from his injuries before undergoing many months of physio and speech therapy.

Five years on, he has fought his way back to fitness and plans to spend the first 26 days of October running over 700 miles to raise funds for the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch.

Paul said: Its been a long haul. I was too scared to even ride my bike for a long time. But I received amazing treatment, physiotherapy and support from the NHS and running has now become a way of life for me.

Paul first fundraised for the Macmillan Unit in 2017, running a double marathon.

The Macmillan Unit provides palliative care and support for over 1600 people and their families every year.

He said: Ever since I became aware of the unit, I have tried to help them in whatever way I can.

The charity behind the unit, Macmillan Caring Locally is now fundraising to replace the old unit with a fabulous new one, through its Brick by Brick appeal.

Nothing makes me happier than knowing my run will fund some of the bricks in that amazing new building.

Paul will start each day of his mammoth quest at 3am, cycling from his home near Boscombe Pier to Bournemouth Pier, where he will park his bike and run two laps of the Bournemouth Half Marathon route.

After soaking his tired legs in the sea, he will cycle home, eat and then sleep for two hours, before travelling to school for his 12-8 caretaker shift.

During the first 25 days of October he will complete a full marathon each day.

Then on Monday 26th he will do the same again. But continue on to the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch for a grand finish. Completing 27 marathons in 26 days.

He said: The school has been great, letting me change my shift around the running.

I’ve been seriously training since last November as I was planning to run the Jurassic 100k for the hospice.

That event like many others, has been postponed because of COVID.

The charity would have also had five people running in the London marathon and that too has been postponed. So I knew I had to go big and try and recoup some of the money they have lost.

Paul added: I’m not going to say it will be easy. It will probably half kill me! But I’m excited and I know I can do this both for the Macmillan Unit and myself.

Neal Williams, Trust Secretary of Macmillan Caring Locally, said: I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Paul has become somewhat of a superhero figure to everyone at the Macmillan Unit.

To overcome what he has and go on to conquer such challenges, is nothing short of incredible.

We hope that other people will want to show their admiration for him by sponsoring his run. His fundraising will enable us to provide end of life care and support for even more people and their families.

You can sponsor Paul here.

Paul has joined together with Tracey Valentine (a Macmillan Caring Locally staff member) and Keith Wilkinson (Trustee) to form The Many Miles Mission Team. Paul is known by the team as Forest Gump as he never stops running!

Check out their amazing story here.

List of pharmacies 

 Pharmacy name and address

Phone Number

100 hour pharmacy

 Locality

Asda Pharmacy

St Pauls Road, Bournemouth,BH8 8DL

01202 298900

Yes

Bournemouth East

Castle Lane Pharmacy
482 Castle Lane West Bournemouth, BH8 9UD

01202 772110

Yes

Bournemouth West

Ferndown Pharmacy
487 Ringwood Road, Ferndown, BH22 9AG

01202 892666

Yes

East Dorset

Tesco Extra Pharmacy
Yarrow Road, Mannings Heath Poole, BH12 4NX

01202 457447 or 01202 367447

Yes

Parkstone

Asda Pharmacy
West Quay Road, Poole, BH15 1JQ

01202 207000

Yes

Poole Central

Equipment – www.redcross.org.uk Is useful for wheelchairs and other equipment

Guide for people nearing end stage of life : https://intranet.rbch.nhs.uk/uploads/palliative/documents/What-to-Expect.pdf

Brief Drugs List for GPs

 

Pain/breathlessness:

Morphine sulphate 2.5-5mg SC PRN (10mg in 1ml injection)

(alternative if taking PO or eGFR<30 – Oxycodone 1 – 2.5mg SC PRN (10mg in 1ml injection))

[Please take background opioid into account when prescribing doses for anticipatories]

Anxiety/distress:

Midazolam 2.5-5mg SC PRN (10mg in 2ml injection)

Secretions:

Glycopyrronium 200mcg SC PRN (600mcg in 3ml injection)

(alternative for secretions: Hyoscine Butylbromide 20mg/ml injection)

Nausea :

Levomepromazine 6.25mg SC PRN (25mg in 1ml injection)

(alternative for nausea: Haloperidol 1.5mg SC PRN (5mg in 1ml injection)

Water for injection

Dexamethasone 3.3mg SC OD-BD (equivalent to 4mg PO) if risk of steroid withdrawal/Addisons during terminal phase.

Day/Time Example Timetable
Monday - AM

9am MMU Ward Hand over; 9:30am Tour of MMU

10m Consultant Ward Round, MMU

Monday - PM

12pm Ward Nurses - syringe driver administration (treatment room)

1:30 Nursing Handover – MMU (ward office)

MMU – Admission Assessment(s) with ward doctor

Tuesday - AM

9am Ward Hand over

9:20am Referrals Meeting on MMU

10am Community visiting with Specialist Nurse

Tuesday - PM

12:30 Journal Club – MMU (doctors office)

2pm Introduction to Patient and Family Support Team

3pm Introduction to Welfare and benefits Advisor

Wednesday - AM

9am Ward Hand over

9:20am Referrals Meeting on MMU

10am Consultant ward round - MMU

Wednesday - PM

2pm Doctor/Nurse Home Visit with Specialty Doctor

Thursday - AM

9:15am Multi-Disciplinary Team Meeting on MMU

Thursday - PM

2pm Introduction to Palliative Rehabilitation with Physiotherapist

3pm Introduction to Complex Discharge Planning in terminal illness

Friday - AM

Hospital Palliative Care Team Ward Visits

Friday - PM

2pm Introduction to Personalised Care Plan for the Last Days of Life with End of Life Care Nurse

4pm Debrief / sign off