Dad's illness inspires nurse to run ultramarathon

Asher Cooper says she got into running while her father was ill and in intensive care

A nurse who got into running less than a year ago while her father was in intensive care has completed an ultramarathon, raising money for people going through a similar thing.

Asher Cooper, 27, works in the emergency department at Peterborough City Hospital and completed the 50k (31 miles) Boudicca Way ultramarathon in Norwich on Saturday.

After her dad fell ill in December, she has been fundraising to help a new Peterborough branch of charity ICU Steps, which supports patients and families affected by critical care.

She said: "To help cope, and to stop myself staring at four walls, I started running and training became my way of managing everything emotionally while Dad was in intensive care."

Ms Cooper, who has raised £465 from the run so far, said her father was admitted to the intensive care unit and had to be intubated.

She said: "Having the consultants sit me, my mum and my brother down and tell us to say our goodbyes was the most heart-breaking thing I've ever gone through."

A new branch of ICU Steps has been set up in Peterborough to help patients and their families who have been affected by critical care

Without the intensive care unit team, she says her dad, who is a retired paramedic, "wouldn't be here today".

The new support branch in Peterborough will be an informal group for critical care patients and their families and friends.

Ms Cooper said: "I'm incredibly grateful, and proud to be supporting ICU Steps and raising awareness of just how much this kind of support can mean for families like mine.

"I ended up falling in love with running and decided to push myself even further with this ultramarathon - and doing it for such an amazing charity is what keeps me going."