DEDICATED staff from Warrington Hospital completed a climb up Mount Snowdon, despite one of them fracturing their leg and ankle while doing so.

Orthodontics colleagues James Cooper, Ian Edwards, Stephen Porter and Huw Mazey completed a sunrise walk up the mountain at the end of August to raise funds for the trust’s charity.

But as they were about to descend the mountain in rainy, windy, and misty conditions, James stumbled over and injured himself.

Consultant orthodontist Ian said: “At the time James thought he had just badly sprained his ankle and limped all the way down the mountain using some donated walking poles.

“His leg didn't seem to be get much better and after five days he went for an X-ray which revealed that he had broken part of his ankle and fibula.

“It is great credit to James that he remarkably got down the mountain and still came to work to see patients – he most certainly went the extra mile.”

The team raised a total of £2,390 by walking through the night for the campaign, which aims to secure £44,000 to buy intraoral digital scanners for the trust’s Orthodontics Department – one for Warrington Hospital and one for Halton Hospital.

Almost £23,000 has been donated to the campaign so far, including a generous donation from the Warrington Hospital League of Friends.

The handheld wireless scanners are already used by many private surgeries, but currently at WHH traditional dental moulds are taken using the thick, sticky substance ‘alginate’ in plastic impression trays, which can be an uncomfortable experience for patients. The digital scanners swiftly scan teeth and gums, providing an immediate 3D impression, which not only improves the patient experience for those needing treatment, but is also far more accurate and better for the environment.

Helen Higginson, head of fundraising at WHH Charity, said: “We’re extremely grateful to all the team for going above and beyond and braving the elements to raise such vital funds for our Raising Smiles campaign, and we also wish James a speedy recovery.

“At WHH Charity we raise funds to provide additional comforts, care, items or experiences for the direct benefit of patients beyond which the NHS can provide, so we would like to say a huge thank everyone who has supported the campaign so far.”

To support the campaign, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/raising-smiles-orthodontics