Hi!
Ok, I am writing this with happy tears in my eyes as the start of my long-awaited Pilgrimage comes nearer. My flight out to Spain is on Thursday and then I will be walking 125 km up to Santiago de Compostela in 5 days. I know some of you might think that it is no big deal, why making such a fuss? Well, to me it means the world as it is more or less the last point on my bucket-list. All the other important events, such as getting married, giving birth to the most wonderful, caring son I could have wished for, gorgeous holidays abroad, attending my son’s wedding, pulling myself together all those years so that I could be with my loving family since I had the live-changing Heart and Lungs Transplant – all of which have given me the strength to keep on fighting when setbacks hit me hard. But this Pilgrimage is not just for me, I want to walk for patients on the transplant waiting list. I want to walk for all patients feeling down and wondering when they are getting better. I want to walk for all of the Harefield Hospital staff to show them my gratitude. I want to walk for my family and friends to show them that after 31 years I am still trying to do my best. But above all I want to walk for all of our donors and their families, they deserve the highest of our respect. I know this won’t be easy for me as I haven’t been feeling well for a while and have had a lot of struggles lately. But I also know that I have to do it now, otherwise I won’t be able to muster the strength to do it anymore. I had to cancel the booking last year due to Covid-19 and even though the Pandemic is not over yet, I will leave for Spain, but of course under the highest possible hygiene standards and will also be very, very careful.

I thought I would combine this adventure with an appeal for donations, because for a hospital as special as Harefield Hospital every cent counts. But, I'm not setting a "fundraising target" here, what comes in, comes in! Every donation is appreciated so much, not only by me Smiley mit geöffnetem Mund
Please stay healthy and enjoy life! More information will follow during the Pilgrimage......

Day 1

We have arrived at the new hotel 15 minutes ago. Now lying on the bed and resting. What a hike, uphill, downhill ...... the last 2 hours of the tour were an absolute torture and I had to pause quite a few times to catch my breath.....but 💪🙂. And my sister did so well, unbelievable! I really don't know how she still can keep going, after all the stress she's had👑

 

Day 2

Just arrived ..... was shorter than yesterday and described as easy, but the journey was tough! Nothing was easy, round about 20 steep climbs and just as many steep descents! My legs were wobbling all the way today. But beautiful paths and scenery, walked almost completely through the forest 🙂....Inner peace has reached me already, not only because I am dog tired😏

 

Day 3

🙂 ..... tired and totally worn out, but so proud of myself💪🙏 ..... what an inspiration! It's unbelievable what this pilgrimage does with me❣️

 

Day 4 

What a long day! It took us over 9 hours to reach the destination for today. Deducting the time for the breaks and thousands of stops it has taken us almost 5 hours of walking to come here. So it was more or less half walking, half stops. My hips hurt like hell and my feet didn't want to carry me anymore, a real torture!!! But.....we reached our target🙂💪. And still we had so much to laugh and had a great day. We got almost lost, because we were talking too much and suddenly heard a group of people shouting: CHICAAAAAS, this way❣️ Puuuh, that was close😛

 

Day 5

Mission completed ♥️

No words, just tears, sooooo grateful....lit a candle for all of us and please keep on fighting, there is always HOPE😘

Dani

Daniela Hardung