'This time last year I could barely walk to the end of the street': Shrewsbury man who missed London Marathon after emergency surgery determined to finish this year's race
A Shropshire man forced to withdraw from last year’s London Marathon after undergoing emergency surgery is preparing for a remarkable return - and is determined to cross the finish line against extraordinary odds.
Dave Burrows, 53, from Shrewsbury, was just weeks away from race day when, last March, a routine colonoscopy revealed a tumour.
Within days he was undergoing major surgery at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, requiring an extended right hemicolectomy to remove a large part of his colon.
Dave spent 10 days in hospital and faced a long recovery, forcing him to defer his marathon place.
But he has told how the challenges did not end there.
Post-operative tests revealed he had Crohn’s disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that causes the digestive tract to become swollen and irritated.
As he began rebuilding his strength, he was also struck by severe, debilitating vertigo.
Months of distress and uncertainty followed before he was diagnosed last July with Meniere’s disease, a long-term, progressive condition affecting balance and hearing.
Dave also lives with asthma and axial spondyloarthritis - formerly known as ankylosing spondylitis - a long-term condition he developed as a teenager, in which the spine and other areas of the body become inflamed.
Despite a year marked by surgery, setbacks, and multiple diagnoses, Dave said his resolve has only strengthened.
He said: "It has been an incredibly tough period. Missing last year’s marathon after all the training was heartbreaking. This time last year, I could barely walk to the end of the street.
“Then, as I was recovering from surgery and starting to run again, I was hit by violent vertigo attacks. At times the symptoms were so severe I couldn’t even get out of bed. It took months to understand what was happening, and there were moments when I genuinely wondered ‘what next?’.
“But going through that experience gave me a completely new perspective. If anything, it made me more determined. This year my training has had to be cautious and flexible, especially with a condition that affects my balance. I’m listening to my body, but I’m putting in the miles.”
Dave, who works in public relations, added: “I want to say thank you to Mr Jon Lacy-Colson and the clinical staff at RSH in Colonoscopy, SAU, Surgery, ITU, and Ward 35 for their incredible care before, during and after my surgery, as well as Mr Churunal Hari at Nuffield Health who eventually diagnosed Meniere’s.
"I also want to thank my colleagues at ROUS+ who helped me take the time to recover after surgery before returning to work, and have been incredibly understanding with the challenges that Meniere’s has presented.”
Dave, who is being supported by his wife Laura and eight-year-old son Jacob, has set a fundraising target of £1,500 for Asthma + Lung UK, the country’s leading lung charity, which funds research to prevent, treat and cure lung conditions, as well as campaigning for lasting change, and providing advice and support for lung health.
He said: "Asthma+Lung UK does incredible work supporting people like me who live with lung conditions.
“I’m fortunate that my asthma is mild enough for me to continue to run. Running the London Marathon is still a huge personal challenge, but knowing that every step I take is raising money to help others makes all the hard work worthwhile."
Learn more and donate at https://join.asthmaandlung.org.uk/fundraisers/davidburrows/lm-ballot-26
