​Half marathon triumph for stroke survivor Tom

​Half marathon triumph for stroke survivor Tom

A RIPON Grammar School student who suffered a devastating stroke at the age of 14 has smashed his first half marathon to raise money for the hospital that helped save his life.

Tom Davies, 17, from Catterick, had to learn to walk and talk again after suffering an intracerebral haemorrhage during a swimming training session.

Two years and eight months on, his original goal was simply to make it to the finish line of the Great North Run.

But instead, he crossed it in an impressive two hours and 43 seconds.

“I was just aiming just to complete it but was over the moon to achieve that time,” said boarding student Tom.

“I may have to do it again to get under two hours now!” He also plans to take on the 192-mile Coast to Coast Walk next year.

From a teenager unable to move the right side of his body, his achievement represents another remarkable milestone in an extraordinary recovery.

Back in January 2024, Tom, a member of Richmond Dales Amateur Swimming Club, had dived into the pool and was swimming when he noticed his fingers were not working properly and his stroke felt wrong.

Over the next 50 metres, his arm became increasingly difficult to move.

When he climbed out of the pool, he tried to speak to his coach but couldn’t find the words.

He was losing the ability to think clearly and was unaware at the time of just how serious his condition was.

Tom had suffered a haemorrhagic stroke caused by a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

A first responder arrived around 15 minutes later and Tom was taken to James Cook University Hospital, where a CT scan revealed a bleed on his brain.

He was then transferred to the Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

Tom spent four days in intensive care before moving to a ward, where he remained for around four months undergoing intensive, specialised physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

When he arrived at hospital, he had no movement on the right-hand side of his body. His recovery involved learning to walk again, learning to write with his other hand, relearning how to talk and rebuilding his ability to process information.

He says the care and support he received at the Great North Children’s Hospital played a pivotal role in his recovery.

"There were many exceptional nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and charity representatives who made it easier for me to succeed.

“Without this help I would not be back on my journey to completing A-levels and looking forward to a future engineering career,” he said.

Tom also credits the support of RGS with helping him return to school. He came back through a phased reintegration, with timetable adjustments after missing a significant amount of work in the run-up to his GCSEs. Sixth form mentors also helped him catch up with subjects he had missed.

Now in sixth form, Tom is studying maths, chemistry and physics and hopes to pursue a career in engineering, either through a degree apprenticeship or university, with mechanical or chemical engineering among his possible choices.

He has also returned to the swimming pool with Richmond Dales - and it was his swimming that helped build his stamina and form the foundation of his training for the Great North Run.

Over the summer, Tom gradually built up his running mileage around his busy swimming schedule, running most Saturdays while also managing to complete his Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition.

Having taken on the Great North Run as a way of giving something back to the hospital that had supported him through the most difficult period of his life, he has already smashed his £750 target.

But the teenager is keen to raise more. On his fundraising page, he says: “I am running the Great North Run as a way to raise money, inspire others, and overall to say thank you for everything the hospital has done.”

He hopes the £1,152 raised so far will help the Great North Children’s Hospital continue its work supporting other young patients and their families, he says.

His mother Rachel said: “We are so proud of Tom. It was an emotional moment when he finished the run. It is amazing to think about how far he has come in the last two and a half years.

“Following his stroke he had to learn to walk, talk and use his right arm again. Throughout the whole journey he has had such determination, he has never felt sorry for himself, has pushed himself to achieve and has celebrated every time he has made progress.”

Dad Robin added: “Whilst Tom’s positive attitude, resilience and determination has got him to where he is today, we are also so grateful to the Great North Children’s Hospital for everything that they did for him. The staff on Intensive Care unit and the Neurorehabilitation ward (Ward 1b) worked so hard to care for Tom, and to get him a long way on his journey of recovery.

“For Tom to now be able to run a half marathon and raise over £1,000 for the hospital charity as a thank you is so special.”

RGS is incredibly proud of Tom’s determination and resilience throughout his recovery.

The school’s special educational needs coordinator Mrs Samina O’Brien said: “School are so proud of the way Tom has handled his recovery. He has shown remarkable resilience, excellent progress over time, a sharp sense of humour and demonstrated what students can achieve when they set the bar high for themselves and refuse to give up in the face of adversity.”

You can donate to Tom’s appeal here: https://ajbellgreatnorthrun2026.enthuse.com/pf/thomas-d

Tom is pictured with his younger brother and sister, George and Lucy, at the end of the race
​Half marathon triumph for stroke survivor Tom