Mum walks 500 miles in a month - to support her own inspirational child of courage

Kirsty O’Donovan walked the equivalent of 16 miles a day for 28 days and she did it to support her inspirational daughter Lyla who has battled a string of health problems ever since she was three years old.

She said: “It consumed my whole day. I didn’t realise how hard it would actually be,

"I needed just over 33,000 steps to finish the challenge in 30 days. I aimed for 40,000 each day to try and get it done quicker, and some days I could only manage 30,000 but some days I was hitting 54,000.”

She admitted: “My feet and legs are constantly aching.”

Lyla was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 and since then she has spent a quarter of her life in hospital.

In just five years, Lyla – who won the Hartlepool Mail Child of Courage Award in 2019 - has had 12 operations on her brain.

As well as the tumour, Lyla has come through meningitis and hydrocephalus but never stops thinking of other youngsters who are poorly.

She has her own charity with her big sister Lilley, 12, and it is called Lyla and Lilley’s Stars.

Its aim is to make youngsters feel more cheerful when they are going through tough times such as when they have to face up to needles and operations in hospital.

But another of the charity’s aims is to buy a caravan and mum Kirsty decided to do a 1 million step challenge to raise money for that. Lyla even backed her mum by doing some of the steps herself.

She said: “I would be stood on the treadmill while the kids would be reading their school books, or stomping around the house to get my steps in,

"I was up between 5.30am and 6.30am every morning to get a good start and sometimes I was still stood on the treadmill at midnight,

"It was the hardest challenge I’ve ever done, but I am also so pleased I did it. I put on 16lb on over lockdown and this has given me the massive boost I’ve needed,

"I will definitely continue and I actually really like walking now.”

Kirsty’s challenge included tackling some of the toughest walking routes in the region.

She walked up to Penshaw Monument on one day but the toughest day was the last one when she walked with Lyla to the peak of Roseberry Topping.

She said: “It was horrendous on my legs, I’m pretty sure Lyla dragged me up the whole way!”

Kirsty’s aim was to raise £700 and set up a Just Giving page for people to make donations. She surpassed the target and the page is still open for anyone wanting to support the cause.

She posted on the page: “If Lyla can conquer all things thrown at her then I’m sure I can manage this.”

Kirsty’s challenge comes just weeks after husband Paul, 34, a corporal in the British Army, did his own mega challenge.

He climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest in 15 hours.

Paul, from Hartlepool, went up and down Roseberry Topping 30 times in all conditions and described the final hours as “horrendous”.

To donate to Kirsty’s challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/million-steps.

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