MAX, the beloved Lake District dog who passed away last year, was honored on what would have been his 16th birthday with a charity walk to his favorite spot, Tewet Tarn - raising over £51,000 in the process.
The walk, called Brew for Moo, was organised by Max's owner Kerry Irving and attracted hundreds of participants.
Among the walkers was Grace Gardiner, a 16-year-old girl whose life was saved by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) when she was just four months old.
Grace had a life-threatening condition called Meckel's diverticulum with intussusception, which resulted in a blockage in her bowel.
Grace's mother, Helen Gardiner, rushed her from their home in Penrith to the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
However, Grace's condition deteriorated rapidly, and she needed to be transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle for further treatment.
Fortunately, the GNAAS team happened to be at the same hospital and offered to airlift her.
Thanks to the timely assistance of GNAAS, Grace made a full recovery and is now 16 years old.
Both mother and daughter shared their story with Kerry Irving on his Facebook page, Max Out in the Lake District.
During the charity walk, Grace generously donated the £300 she earned in tips from her job to GNAAS.
"Grace has obviously been aware of GNAAS all her life but her decision to donate her tips, from the Clickham Inn, was a very personal one.
“If it hadn’t had been for the air ambulance, she just wouldn’t be here," Helen said.
Despite the rain, a large crowd turned out for Brew for Moo.
The GNAAS critical care team even landed their aircraft at the event to greet the walkers, including paramedic Lee Salmon, who treated Grace when she was a baby.
“We had a fantastic day and the funds we’ve all raised together in memory of Max is incredible and far exceeded what I was expecting.
“The weather didn’t detract from our dog walk, and it was great to see so many happy smiling faces and happy dogs enjoying the outdoors and making new friends.
“Thank you so much to everyone who supported the event through ticket sales and donations, in total we’ve raised more than £51,000," Kerry said.
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