Walker to tackle 150-mile route in memory of tragic Westbury family (From This Is Wiltshire)

Walker to tackle 150-mile route in memory of tragic Westbury family

7:50am Tuesday 24th November 2009

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A Sussex man who was deeply touched by a tragedy involving a Westbury family earlier this year is planning to complete a 150-mile walk to raise money for charity.

Bruce Brown, 68, from Arundel in West Sussex, will walk the entire length of the Wessex Ridgeway, from Marlborough to Lyme Regis, over 10 days in July, in memory of the Puttick family from Brokerswood.

The bodies of Neil Puttick, 34, and his Japanese-born wife Kazumi, 44, were found at the foot of Beachy Head in Sussex in May. They were carrying two rucksacks - one containing the body of their severely disabled five-year-old son, Sam, and the other containing his favourite toys.

Sam, who had been left quadraplegic following a car accident caused by another driver when he was 16-months-old, had contracted meningitis and died just a few days beforehand leaving his devoted parents devastated.

They had given up their careers following the car accident to devote their lives to looking after him.

Mr Brown heard about the Puttick’s tragic story on his local television news in Sussex and was then visiting a friend in Bradford on Avon at the time of their funeral in June.

He said: “When it really hit me was when I came down here to visit my friend in Bradford on Avon.

“It was the picture of the little’s boy’s smiley, happy face that really affected me.

“Plus the fact that their lives had been ruined by someone who wasn’t paying attention and that they died in my local area.”

He decided to donate money to Spinal Research, the charity that had been helping little Sam and who were about to launch a new campaign with Sam’s picture on posters and leaflets just before he died.

But Mr Brown, who is a keen walker and regularly clocks up 15 miles a day, then decided to undertake a much larger fundraising effort for the charity and complete the full length of the Wessex Ridgeway instead.

The retired British Council worker got in touch with the charity to let them know what he was planning and set about planning his route.

He expects the journey to take 10 days, during which he will walk between 13 and 15 miles a day as well as one blister-inducing 22 mile walk, and he will be staying with friends and at bed and breakfasts along the way.

He has set up a fundraising website and is looking to raise as much as possible for the charity.

Visit www.justgiving.co.uk/bruce-brownwalksthewessexridgewayforsam to donate.

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