A grandmother-of-three from Northern Ireland is cycling 89 miles around the largest lake in Ireland to help bring life-changing surgery to the world's poorest nations.
Nina Bleakley, who is from Portadown and works as a nurse at Belfast City Hospital, will be pedaling her way around Lough Neagh to celebrate turning 60 while raising money for international development charity Mercy Ships.
Renal nurse Nina has been inspired by the charity since her general surgeon daughter Anna Bleakley, who works at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, volunteered for a year on hospital ship the Africa Mercy in 2017.
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Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, including surgery and training to strengthen and support countries in the developing world that need it most.
The charity has worked in more than 55 developing countries, providing services valued at more than £1.3 billion and directly benefiting more than 2.8 million people.
Nina said: “My daughter was so impressed by the organisation, and I am too. The work they do is so incredible – the operations completely change people’s lives.
“Some people have been struggling on for years with conditions that we deal with so quickly and easily in the West. Mercy Ships helps people get access to the medical care that we take for granted.”
Nina has been busy cycling three times a week, sometimes up to 126 miles in a week, and hopes to raise £1,200. But she says her aim is to also volunteer for Mercy Ships too.
The mum-of-three said: “I work as a renal nurse, but I have been putting in extra shifts in surgical wards in order to gain more experience in volunteering for Mercy Ships. Until I can physically be there myself, I want to support their work in other ways.”
Nina will be cycling around Lough Neagh on August 28th. You can find out more and donate to her fundraiser by clicking here.
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