The close friend of a north man with a rare condition is gearing up for a mammoth cycle across Canada to help raise money to support him as he undergoes lengthy brain surgery.
Jonny Sherlock from Sutherland is aiming to complete the 4,134mile route in just 40 days, to support Tain-based artist Fin Macrae, 42, who has a brain cavernoma, an abnormal swelling of blood vessels in the brain or spinal cord which can leak blood.
Mr Sherlock, who is also an artist, hopes to raise more than £4,000 for the charity Cavernoma Alliance UK (CAUK) which supports people with the illness.
Each year, one in 400,000 people is diagnosed with a cavernoma, but it is estimated that one in 600 has a cavernoma which is dormant.
Mr Sherlock was there when his friend collapsed and suffered his first seizure in 2011, while working on a project up in John O’Groats.
The diagnosis and resulting epilepsy has had a big impact on Mr Macrae’s life and he will have brain surgery to try and eliminate the risk of further bleeds while Mr Sherlock takes on the epic challenge.
Mr Sherlock will start the challenge on Wednesday next week and will be cycling an average of 103 miles each day across the Canadian wilderness.
The route takes him from Halifax in Nova Scotia on the east coast to Vancouver in British Columbia on the west coast via Toronto, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg, Moose Jaw and Calgary.
Mr Sherlock said: “There is very little anyone can do to prepare for a life-changing illness or tragedy. For the most part, one day people find themselves thrown into an overwhelming situation and have to face it as they stand.
“So in solidarity with my friend Fin, I am throwing myself into the Coast to Coast cycling challenge for Fin and to raise funds for Cavernoma Alliance UK who are and have been a great support to him and his family.”
Mr Macrae said: “CAUK has been a great support and help to me and my family. It has brought me in contact with people all over the world who share the experience of living with cavernomas. It has put me in touch with medical experts and been a great source of information about the condition.
“I am very touched by Jonny’s willingness to take on this challenge and to support this great cause – part of me wishes I could do this with him. Only a very small part though.”