Farmer Phil Metcalfe, from Foxberry Chasers, in Caldwell, suffers from progressive multiple sclerosis but is still determined to do as much as he can, supported by wife Sara and son Jasper.
Sara’s teenage nephews, Arthur and Charlie, also suffers from ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) – a life-limiting genetic condition. Because their immune systems are so low, they are also fighting cancer.
Mrs Metcalfe has set herself 50 challenges to complete before she marks her 50th birthday in September. The wild and wacky activities, which are helping to fund research at the A-T Society, range from completing a 5km run dressed as Mrs Elastica from The Incredibles, to getting into her wedding dress after 17 years.
More than £5,000 has been raised so far. The coffers will be swelled further by the family’s bi-annual Bash in the Barn at Foxberry on Saturday, July 8. The event, which will also collect money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and Butterwick Hospice, brought in £7,000 in 2015 and the Metcalfes hope to beat that figure.
Mrs Metcalfe said: “It would be great to see if we can match or beat that total, but there are more and more charity events so it will be difficult. We normally get a really good turnout – it’s very well supported and everybody gets behind it. It’s one of those dos that’s still a community event.”
Bash in the Barn starts at 7pm and includes a pork roast, disco, bouncy castle and raffles and other games. Among the prizes is a magnum of red wine donated by GSC Grays and a barrel of beer given by the Oat Tree at Hutton Magna. Boldron catering firm Prestige Espresso is providing the food without charging the organisers.
The family have also raised thousands for the A-T Society over the years.
Mrs Metcalfe said: “The average life expectancy for sufferers is 26, but that has moved up from the late teens since my nephews were first diagnosed. That’s a real improvement and the money we have raised will have helped.”
Publicity generated by the BBC’s The One Show during its Rickshaw Challenge has also helped the cause after a woman living with the condition took part.
Mrs Metcalfe has completed 34 of the 50 challenges and it will culminate with her hair, which she has been growing long all year, getting the snip on her 50th birthday.
She said: “I decided I would spend my year fundraising by completing challenges as a mark of respect for my gorgeous nephews, Charlie and Arthur, who face challenges every day with their A-T life.
“My husband has MS and some people did wonder why the donations were not to be shared with the MS Society but I can help make his life easier on a daily basis whereas we live miles away from the boys.
“One of the highlights was catching up with the Rickshaw from Children in Need when it was in the North and meeting Ebony who was doing a massive challenge herself.
“When I caught up with them I was already halfway through a four-day “Dress as a Teletubby” challenge so the look on Matt Baker’s face when LaLa jumped out of the car in front of him was a picture. I got quite emotional again talking to Ebony and her Mum in the support bus and it spurred me on to make sure I raised as much money as I could.”
The 50:50 challenge was also inspired by the loss of Mrs Metcalfe brother, David Seal, who died aged 25 from Hodgkins Disease. He would have been 50 last September.
People have also been donating items to raffle off. Farrier Neil Jackson, of Esperley Lane, near Cockfield, has created a horse head garden ornament from old horse shoes. People can bid for this via the fundraising appeal’s Facebook page, https://www.face
book.com/sara.metcalfe.9
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