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Kayaking with Bupa's help

 

September 2010

By The Daily telegraph

Justin Hansen is today paddling his kayak down a canal somewhere between Manchester and London. On his back is a special pack in which he carries his food.

This is not sandwiches and an apple but a specially formulated mixture that is pumped directly into his veins. The thing about Justin is that he has no guts - literally.

In 2003, he was admitted to hospital in an emergency with Crohn's disease and surgeons removed his intestines. He was 42.

Unable to digest normal food, he now relies on total parenteral nutrition - tube feeding - which he manages himself.

Normally Bupa Home Healthcare makes up his formula and delivers it to his home in Portsmouth. He attaches the food bag to a pump overnight. The service is paid for by the NHS. But this month Justin, now 50, is undertaking a 20-day kayak trip to raise money for bowel disease research, so Bupa is delivering his formula to the narrow boat that is acting as his support vessel.

"Every three days, we arrange to meet at a lock along the canals. They drop off my supplies and off we go," he says. "Because of all the exercise, I am on the pump 24 hours a day."

He adds: "This is not just a service that supports people at home. If you want to go away or plan a trip like this, Bupa will be there. And that's really important for an outdoorsy person like me."

"If I had any doubts at all about whether Bupa would be reliable in this, I would not do it. But I don't. It's amazing."

For more information about Justin's kayak trip go to www.gutlesskayaking.com

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