A Gloucester father is preparing to run the Great Bristol Half Marathon this weekend in gratitude to the hospital that saved his 12-year-old daughter’s life after a life-threatening brain bleed.
Last May, Isabella Fernandez was rushed to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children from Gloucester Royal Hospital after suffering a serious brain hemorrhage. After emergency surgery, she spent weeks recovering across intensive care, high dependency, and neurological wards.
In August, just weeks before turning 13, Isabella faced a second challenging procedure—a craniotomy requiring her to remain awake—demonstrating remarkable courage.
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Now, one year since that life-changing moment, her father Marcos Fernandez, 45, from Kingsway, Gloucester, is running the 13.1-mile half marathon to raise funds for the Bristol and Weston Hospitals Charity.
“It had to be Bristol,” Marcos explains. “The care Isabella received there saved her life. Running this race is my way of giving back to the incredible staff who made it possible.”
Despite being a relatively inexperienced runner, Marcos has trained hard for this event, pushing himself beyond his comfort zone. “I’ve never run more than 10k before. The training has been tough, but it has given me a new respect for marathoners.”
Reflecting on the support his family received, Marcos shares, “The doctors, nurses, therapists, and even receptionists went above and beyond to make us feel supported during an unimaginably stressful time. Every visit was met with compassion and kindness.”
He recalls the fear and bravery involved in Isabella’s awake surgery: “It was heartbreaking as a parent to know she had to be awake during such a major operation, but Isabella faced it head-on. The successful surgery gave us hope in a dark moment.”
Though Isabella continues to experience effects like fatigue, headaches, and brain fog, her family remains deeply thankful. “Their expert care saved my daughter’s life,” Marcos says simply.
Isabella will join her dad on race day, along with family and friends, offering him vital encouragement. So far, Marcos has raised nearly £1500 for the charity and hopes to increase this total.
“We were fortunate, but I’ve seen other families facing even harder battles. I want to raise as much as I can to support them and the hospital that supported us.”
Sarah Pryer, Director of Fundraising & Marketing at the charity, expressed her gratitude: “Supporters like Marcos make an enormous difference. The funds raised will help us continue to provide essential support to patients, families, and NHS staff when they need it most.”