Carl Ikeme to join hordes on Velo Birmingham bike ride
Ex-Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme is taking on the 100-mile Velo bike ride for the hospital ward that has helped him battle back from leukaemia.
Ikeme, who announced he was in remission from leukaemia last year, will take on Velo Birmingham tomorrow to support ward 19 at the Heartlands Hospital – where he is being treated.
He will take on the challenge with doctors and nurses who have treated him at the Bordesley Green East hospital.
The group hope to raise enough money to refurbish the ward’s day unit.
They will take on the cycling event tomorrow.
New Velo route
In 2017, Velo Birmingham was criticised by traders who said their businesses would be impacted by the road closures. Nails and tacks were left on the route by saboteurs keen to disrupt the event.
However the event did not go ahead in 2018 and the route has now changed to steer clear of Staffordshire and most of the Black Country.
It will start in Birmingham before heading across the West Midlands, briefly entering the boundaries of Sandwell and Dudley, before returning to the city.
Ikeme's group group is hoping to raise £5,000 and has so far collected more than £2,000 on its GoFundMe page.
The shot-stopper posted on social media: “So I signed up to do the 100 mile Velo Birmingham bike ride event this Sunday.
“I will be riding with the doctors and nurses from ward 19 Heartlands where I’m still currently getting treated. Our aim is to improve the facilities to help patients get treated – with isolation units and [an] DKMS harvesting unit also.
"I will put the link in my bio if any of you would be so kind to donate! Let’s see how it goes.”
On their fundraising page, the group said the unit needed to be upgraded due to high levels of demand.
The page read: “This is a unit which was built in 2002 and the demand for its services necessitates the full refurbishment of the unit – including the construction of single rooms to isolate infected patients and minimise the spread of infections to other vulnerable patients.
“Please support us to make this dream come true and help many of our brave patients.”
The team also intend to establish a DKMS harvesting unit – enabling the bone marrow harvesting of healthy donors and allowing transport of them across the world.
The cells would be taken to patients with haematological conditions and malignancies to help save their life.
Heartlands Hospital Charity posted : “We’re so excited that Wolves legend Carl Ikeme will be riding alongside us this weekend for Velo Birmingham.”
To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thevelosof19
