WHEN Mary Judd steps out at the start of a sponsored walk for Colchester’s Stroke Unit, she will have an unusual lucky charm.

She will take along the walking boots of her late mother-in-law Margaret Judd, who died at Colchester General Hospital on July 8 last year after suffering a massive stroke.

Mary, 53, is raising funds for the Stroke Unit fund of Colchester Hospitals Charity (CoHoC), in appreciation of the care staff on the unit gave her mother-in-law, who lived in Tudor Green, Jaywick.

Mary said: “Margaret loved to walk and I plan to take along her walking boots - I know she will be watching over us as we walk.

“She was a very special person and a very young 76 who loved walking, gardening and keeping up with her large family circle.

“She had more energy than me which is why her stroke was such a shock. It came completely out of the blue and despite getting her emergency help very quickly, the stroke was too massive for her to survive.

“The staff on the stroke unit were absolutely brilliant, allowing us – and there were a lot of us – to stay with her right up until the end, and gave us the space and privacy to say our goodbyes.”

Margaret, who was a widow, had two sons and one daughter, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, as well as being the eldest of six children and having 10 nieces and nephews.

She was a member of several clubs in and around the Jaywick and Clacton area, including Jaywick Ladies Club and a gardening club, and volunteered at Jaywick Library.

Mary will head to Spain on Wednesday and plans to walk 119 kilometres (74 miles) over the next six days.

She will be walking part of the Camino, a very old pilgrim trail which runs from France through Spain with the main finish being in Santiago de Compostela.

Mary will be walking from Santiago to Muxia via Cape Finisterre.

 

Anyone wanting to sponsor Mary can do so via www.justgiving.com/Mary-Judd2