Powerful Motivation For Supporting Charities

by | Sep 11, 2024 | Events

Kiahna Taylor-Brummell turns 18 on Wednesday.  Always such a landmark birthday and one to be remembered with so much joy and happiness.

But perhaps for Kiahna, and her family, it is a landmark which might be savoured more than most.

Within hours of her birth, back on September 11th in 2006, it became clear Kiahna had been born with a life-threatening heart problem, and the elation of her parents Neil and Kerry very quickly turned to complete pain and devastation.

Immediately put under the care of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, she underwent three life-saving heart operations before she was six months old.

Since then, she has undergone two further major heart operations but now, thankfully, she can celebrate her coming of age having spent many years living a happy and healthy life.   

And Dad Neil, long-serving co-owner of the popular Fox pub on the Bridgnorth Road in Shipley, will forever be grateful.

Grateful emotionally but also practically.  That the world-class staff and facilities at BCH were able to save Kiahna’s life is something Neil and the whole family will never ever forget.  And that is why he has been saying thank you ever since.

Starting with sportsman’s evenings at the Fox, to taking on various running challenges of different distances, and then even more extreme feats including marathons and climbing some seriously high mountains, since Kiahna was born and went through her treatments, Neil has gone out and raised thousands upon thousands of pounds to show his gratitude.  

And he’s still going.   Only in May of this year, he was part of a group of friends who headed to the Atlas Mountains to scale Mount Toubkal in Morocco. As part of this year’s fundraising, over the last couple of weeks he has also organised a Jersey Boys tribute night in Pattingham, and an evening with Steve Bull and Andy Thompson at the Mount Hotel.

“No amount of money can ever repay the debt to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for saving Kiahna’s life, but, over the years, I have just tried to do what I can to give back,” says Neil.

“It started gradually, then developed into marathons – even though I’m not built for running! – and then even more crazy challenges after that.

“For me it’s nothing, it’s just something I feel I need to do, because without Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Kiahna wouldn’t be here now.

“She is the reason I keep going and keep trying to raise money but I can only do it with the help of so many other people.

“I have a great group of friends who often join me on the challenges but also so many others who give their support as well as the public who have always been so amazing with their donations.”

The list of challenges is as varied as it is extensive.  From the Wolverhampton and Birmingham Half Marathons to the London Marathon – three times – New York and Paris!

Indeed, it is now a decade since Neil not only completed the Paris Marathon but followed up by jumping on his bike the next day to ride back to London, arriving on the Thursday ahead of completing the London Marathon on the Sunday.  

There has also been another bike ride – from John O’Groats to Lands’ End this time – and then, last but certainly not least, those mountains.

A climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, trekking to Everest Base Camp, reaching the summit to Kala Pathar, walking the Inca trail to Mach Picchu and then climbing Rainbow Mountain, all of which are over 20,000 feet above sea level. Neil clearly doesn’t do things by halves, albeit supported by those friends who regularly join him on the challenges.

And also, whilst Birmingham Children’s Hospital provided the initial inspiration for the fundraising, by virtue of their wonderful care of Kiahna, the overall total – now closing in on a staggering £250,000 – has also been extended to supporting other similarly important causes.

Neil’s activities now also support Promise Dreams, the charity which aims to make dreams come true for seriously and terminally ill children, which has been supported by close pals Steve Bull and Suresh Bawa, who is a regular joining him on his challenges.

Not to mention the 1p36 Family Trust, which helps children and adults affected by 1P36 Deletion Syndrome, including young Olivia Guy, the daughter of Neil’s friends Jason and Aimee Guy.

All of that is made possible with support from so many others, including the Bernard family from the Mount Hotel.

His generosity and desire to help others is also illustrated by how he has now decided, via the Fox, to become one of the first sponsors of Wolves’ Former Player Association’s revamped website.

The Fox’s contribution to the FPA will help the organisation continue to support several local charities every year, effectively paying it forward, making a positive contribution to so many more lives.

Neil has always been a fantastic supporter of Wolves FPA events, and the Fox are excellent hosts for the regular lunches when former Wolves players are able to gather together and share fun and memories over a scrumptious meal.

“It’s always great to see the former players doing what they can to support the community, long after they became heroes whilst playing for the club, and we at the Fox love hosting them and are only too pleased to be able to sponsor their website,” adds Neil.

For Wolves FPA Chairman John Richards, that feeling is certainly mutual.

“Neil is a brilliant supporter of everything we do with the Wolves FPA, and this has now been extended with the Fox kindly becoming one of our first website sponsors,” he explains.

“It is a testament to the sort of person he is that he and his family have turned the adversity faced by Kiahna into such a force for good, with some incredible fundraising which will have helped so many people over the years.

“We all love our regular meet-ups at the Fox, it’s a fantastic venue where we are always looked after so well, and I just want to thank Neil and everyone involved for their continuing backing of the work of the FPA.”

For now though, it’s time to celebrate, to toast a truly special 18th birthday and an exciting future for Kiahna, who is currently at college studying fashion.

“I always mark the anniversaries of Kiahna’s big operations and her birthdays by raising a glass to the incredible people from BCH and beyond who helped her so much in her early years,” says Neil.

“Celebrating her 18th birthday is going to be a special occasion and one we are all really looking forward to.”