80-year-old cyclist to get on his bike for 100-mile ride from Bridlington to Bradford to thank hospital staff who saved his life

David Butland will cycle almost 100 miles from Bridlington to Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) on April 20 to mark the 20th anniversary of his recovery, raising money for Bradford Hospitals Charity.

In March 2004, David fell seriously ill with an infection which affected his heart, lungs and kidneys, and was admitted to BRI’s intensive care unit, where he was sedated and placed on a ventilator. His wife Judy was told to prepare for the worst.

After spending a month in hospital, he made a remarkable recovery and was well enough to go home. It was then he discovered that Judy had been keeping family and friends updated about his condition through daily emails.

But after reading the emails, David was puzzled as he felt they bore no resemblance to his period in hospital. He was concerned that they only told half a story.

“To begin with I had no idea I had been in hospital for a month. I thought it was a matter of days,” he said.

“I read the emails and it seemed as though Judy’s version of events was very different to those I recalled.

"There were incidents that it seemed no one else knew anything at all about. She had missed out all the interesting things that I had experienced – or believed I had experienced.”

There was no mention of the theatre with the hypnotist, reading the lesson at a friend’s wedding, setting sail for Scotland with just chickens for company or the difficulty flying his helicopter and trying to land it in the garage.

As a result, the couple decided to combine their versions of David’s hospitalisation and make them into a book, titled “What Happened?”, proceeds of which will also go to Bradford Hospitals Charity.

David said: “Reading Judy’s accounts made it clear to me that she’d had a much worse time of it than I did, and it affected her very much seeing me in in the state I was, heavily sedated with tubes everywhere and not being able to communicate, while I was enjoying all these adventures I truly believed were happening. I still have such a sharp memory of them.”

The couple, who ran their own business, Bradford University Software Services Ltd before retiring, moved from Bradford to Bridlington. They were married for 54 years until Judy’s death in 2018.

Since his recovery, David has continued his passion for cycling and last year undertook a ride from Rotterdam to Sweden.

He is now in training for his latest challenge, starting from his seaside home and finishing at the place where he says he will be forever grateful for the care he received.

He is hoping to complete the journey in two days, with a stopover with his niece in Wetherby.

“I don’t think Judy would think this latest challenge a good idea, but she’d be happy and proud that I’m raising money for Bradford Hospitals Charity.

"The care I received at Bradford Royal Infirmary saved my life and everyone played a part in keeping me alive, from Dr Roberts (Dr Russell Roberts, consultant nephrologist) to the nurses, the physiotherapists and the cleaners who kept my room spotless with so much care.

“The support Judy received from the hospital during what was an incredibly worrying and challenging time for her – the daily visits to me plus keeping our home running etc – also kept her going, I’m sure.”

Lisa Williams, the charity’s head of fundraising, said: “We express our sincere thanks to David for sharing his hospital experiences and for his remarkable dedication in raising funds for Bradford Hospitals Charity through this 100-mile cycling journey from Bridlington to Bradford.

“Your support is truly appreciated David, and we look forward to seeing you at the finish line.”

To sponsor David, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/david-butland-1701338288499