Almost £20,000 raised for Worthing Hospital in memory of ‘amazing’ Worthing man

Elizabeth Hosford has been raising money for her late partner Russell Walton, who died in January at Worthing Hospital, aged 46.

Elizabeth, 48, has almost reached £20,000 of donations to go towards a new ultrafiltration machine at the hospital.

She praised the staff at the hospital, who treated Russell for a total of 13 weeks in 2018.

“The staff were so wonderful to him and did everything that they could, so I wanted to do something for them,” she said.

“The machine will hopefully have a plaque in memory of Russ.

“Of course, without the generosity of the donors, we wouldn’t be here at all.”

She said Russell had been an ‘amazing partner’ for seven and a half years, and a wonderful stepdad to their daughters Harriet, 16, and Heidi, 14.

The couple met at the British Transplant Games in 2011, with Russell having received a heart transplant in 2000 and Elizabeth a kidney transplant in 1990.

Last month, Elizabeth raised more than £1,000 at a coffee morning at her home in Rackham Road.

All funds will go towards Courtlands Ward in Worthing Hospital, via the Love Your Hospital charity.

She also received a further £190 from some of Russ’s friends at Lytham DIY in Lancashire, where he hails from, who had carried out a sponsored silence.

She thanked donors and her neighbours – Carolyn and Jim Hopkins, Ann Booker and Grubby and Millie Tyrell – for their support, and said any help local businesses could offer in furthering the cause would make a world of difference in reaching the £25,000 target.

You can donate and read more about the fundraising here: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/elizabeth-hosford1