Eastbourne schoolchildren raise £2,800 for hospital who cared for staff member

West Rise Junior School in Langney completed the ‘100 Challenge’ which saw them do a sporting activity such as laps of the playground or star jumps 100 times.

The £2,800 raised went to the Friends of Eastbourne Hospital and children specifically wanted to thank the hospital’s critical care team who cared for school staff member, Stevie Beard.

Stevie was admitted to the DGH in July 2020. He was seriously ill and deteriorating rapidly with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, a rare kind of inflammation that affects the brain and spinal cord.

He was put in an induced coma and ventilated for several weeks. When he started to wake he was unable to move from the neck down.

When he was strong enough Stevie was transferred to The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath where he underwent plasma exchange treatment and eventually was transferred to the rehab unit.

He stayed on that unit until the end of February 2021 when he came home under the care of the Eastbourne Community Rehab Team.

Stevie was told that West Rise Junior School, where he works, wanted to do the challenge and they wanted Stevie to choose one of the charities to raise money for.

Stevie and the schoolchildren took part in the challenge together – Stevie was sponsored to take 100 steps across the playground.

Nikki Beard, Stevie’s mum, said, “We will never be able to thank you enough for your commitment in caring for Stevie, who has the added challenges of being visually impaired and on the autistic spectrum, and therefore needed time and patience at a time when you were under so much additional pressure.”

The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital would like to congratulate Stevie and the children of West Rise and thank them for their support.