An astonishing £10,000 was raised in just 72 hours for a Blairgowrie man who is fighting multiple sclerosis.
Outdoors enthusiast Dean Souter, 41, has completed the full set of 282 Munros and was just 47 away from summiting each of the 221 Corbetts when he was forced to stop due to the onset of MS.
Dean has a progressive form of the condition that prevents him from walking as he used to.
So his brother Mike began the ‘Doing it for Dean’ campaign to raise £20,000 for an adaptive bike that would enable him to access the hills that he misses so much.
In just three days the crowdfunder topped five figures, leaving Dean overjoyed.
“It is amazing,” said the father to Josh, 9.
“Having such a reaction from so many people gave me a welcome boost because you do have down days.”
In this feature Dean reveals that his large family kept him going during his darkest moments with MS, and how having the adaptive bike would be a game-changer.
Walking staved off drinking and depression
Dean’s desire to return to the hills is understandable when one considers how his passion began.
It was in 2006 and Dean, then 24, had become used to an unhealthy pattern of drinking every weekend.
“I was drinking because I was depressed and I was depressed because I was drinking,” he said.
“I just needed to find a passion rather than just go out socialising.
“And walking is what I found.”
What began with a few casual walks to get some fresh air progressed to trips to Scotland’s remotest spots each weekend.
Some occasions were epic, such as the nine Munros completed on a single day in the Fannichs, between Inverness and Ullapool.
This required 20 miles of walking and a nine-mile cycle ride.
“I always preferred the longer days,” Dean said.
“They lived in the memory.”
Condition stops him from playing with son
In September 2015 he completed the Munros by summiting Ben More on Mull with wife Naomi.
But the tell-tale signs of MS were already beginning to show.
“I used to do 10k runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays to keep me fit for the hills,” Ben said.
“But I was noticing that after 5k my left leg was getting really heavy and I was struggling to lift it.”
The symptoms progressed and, in 2018, he was diagnosed with MS. The following year he had to give up hill-walking.
“Having found walking, I thought that was going to be me for the rest of my life,” he said.
“But this has come along and stolen that away.
“That is definitely the hardest part, as well as not being able to do certain things with my son.
“I am not even able to kick the ball with him.”
‘Don’t know if I’d still be here’ without family
The physical and emotional pain has been immense but at least Dean hasn’t suffered alone.
He is the oldest of eight children and his mother Fiona Souter is the youngest of nine.
She is also an experienced counsellor.
“If it wasn’t having all the friends and family I don’t know if I’d still be here because it can get so overwhelming,” Dean said.
“There were points when I didn’t see a future and went through a lot of negative mindsets but thankfully I came out the other end.
“One of the main things was having a son who was going to miss out on certain things.
“It started getting the better of me but my mum helped me with the feelings I had in the earlier days.”
Battling through the handicaps
Dean’s upper body continues to function adequately but his walking has degenerated to a shuffle.
No longer able to stroll to the local shop, he now gets there using an automatic car.
He works in Perth at Ross Co accident repair centre, where he has been supported to continue his job as a paint sprayer.
Huge support has also arrived from brother Mike, 36, who has helped raise more than £16,000 for the MS Society.
He ran the London Marathon in 2019 and, the following year, memorably cycled up and down Kinnoull Hill for 26.2 miles, dressed as wrestler Hulk Hogan.
“We’re now at a point where we want to do something for Dean and try and give him more of the freedom he deserves,” Mike said.
Adaptive bike would give ‘new lease of life’
Dean currently has a battery-powered electric bike that enables him to reach certain remote spots.
But he would be able to go much further up the hills with an adaptive bike.
He wants to buy a Bowhead Reach vehicle, which is designed for people with spinal cord injuries who can’t use bikes at all.
The battery-powered bike has three wheels, instead of two.
“MS affects balance and this would help a lot,” Dean said.
“My balance is terrible – I fall over a lot.
“It would give me another lease of life to get back into the outdoors and hopefully I can continue to enjoy spending time in the wild.”
Final fundraising push
Three weeks ago Michael began a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the adaptive bike with a Facebook post that was shared a remarkable 134 times.
After more than £10,000 was raised within three days the running total is now up to £11,500.
“The response has been ridiculous,” said Mike, who works for Perth firm Write on Signs.
“We have been blown away by the generosity of everyone. The family have been left gobsmacked.
“People have been putting in £50, £100, £200. It is amazing.
“It is just after Christmas and there is a cost of living crisis yet maybe people are thinking that they don’t have much to complain about because they still have their health.
“My brother is buzzing and it has massively lifted his spirits because this is something that can actually give him freedom again.”
Click here to donate towards Dean’s adaptive bike.
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