Transplant patient’s family aim to raise £1000 for Wythenshawe hospital with dazzling Christmas lights display

A couple have covered their home with hundreds of Christmas lights in a bid to raise £1,000 for Wythenshawe Transplant Centre – a cause that is very close to their hearts as one is a patient there.

Mark and Julie Peacock have been decorating their house in North Wingfield, Derbyshire, for a number of years. Their lights started attracting the attention of passers-by, so the couple decided to use this as an opportunity to spread some festive cheer.

Last year they raised £1000 for the air ambulance service and a further £250 each for the local Guides and Brownies. This year, however, they have selected a charity that is particularly important to them. They are fundraising for Wythenshawe hospital’s transplant unit, where Mark, 59, is being treated for pulmonary fibrosis.

His wife Julie, 56, said: “This year, because Mark’s waiting for a lung transplant, we thought we’d like to give a little back to Manchester. We’re hoping and praying that he’s going to get a transplant. Mark’s got an appointment on the 10 January so we’d like to go and take them a big fat cheque, which would be really nice for us.”

Mark was diagnosed five years ago, when he started noticing that he was tiring easily, first on a snorkelling holiday and then back home on the golf course. After a chest x-ray at their local hospital in Chesterfield, and further appointments in Sheffield, he was then referred to Manchester’s Wythenshawe hospital, where there is a dedicated heart and lung transplant centre.

Julie said: “If you looked at Mark, you wouldn’t think he was poorly, but if you walked up the street with him, you’d know then. Walking from the house to the other side of the road, he’s tired and he has to stop and have a break.”

Mark’s condition has affected the couple’s lifestyle. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, the couple would enjoy holidays in places like the Caribbean, Cuba and Mexico, but now even a train ride to Sheffield is too risky.

But the father-of-two and grandfather-of-four has not let his condition get in the way of making the most of life. He continues to work as a fork truck driver and was adamant that his festive display would go up this year. The work on the Christmas lights began back in October.

Jule said: “I didn’t actually think that we could do the Christmas lights this year because it is a lot of work and it’s hard work. He just kept saying we’re alright, we’ll do them. It took a long time. And I think it’s just been a good distraction for us both actually, that we’re doing something good. We just hope and pray that he does get some new lungs.”

Mark almost did receive some new lungs. They received a call from the team at Wythenshawe at quarter to midnight one evening in July, saying that a donor had been found. By 6am the next morning Mark was prepped for surgery. However, an hour and half later they were told that the donor’s lungs had deflated too quickly after the life support was switched off and the surgery could not go ahead.

Julie recalled: “That was really, really heartbreaking. In my eyes, it was like a relief. I was so scared. I know it affects Mark more than me, but once he’s got that needle inside him, then he doesn’t know anything about it. It was just a scary experience.”

“When he came back to Manchester after thinking he was going to get a transplant, he couldn’t talk to people about it at work. That’s when he breaks down and cries. It’s just been a really hard time.”

The transplant operation is a gruelling 10-12 hours long and requires around 10 days of treatment in intensive care afterwards. Julie said the team at Wythenshawe hospital have been “absolutely fantastic” in helping them understand the process and come to terms with everything.

She said: “They’ve been really helpful. Basically told us all the different scenarios, life expectancy after the transplant, because it is hard to take.”

Now Julie and Mark are hoping to give back to the centre. So far they have raised £535 of their £1000 target.

The response from neighbours and visitors has been full of compliments, Julie said, particularly with children who have also been treated with a visit from Santa – an 82-year-old neighbour who has volunteered his time

Julie said: “He’s been absolutely brilliant with the kids. They’ve been queuing up at weekends. It doesn’t matter how many people are in the queue, he’d still take the time out to speak to them exactly how they wanted and not rush anybody.

“People say: ‘I can’t believe how nice that Santa is. I’ve just paid £10 in Meadowhall for that and it was rubbish.’”

They have put up cameras outside so they know when to come out to greet people. They have lights and Christmas figures everywhere, on the front and back gardens and on their summer house.

Julie said: “We’ve got lots and lots of figures, twinkling lights everywhere, 8ft Snowman, 8ft Santa, 6ft reindeers, we’ve got a playhouse that we’ve transformed into a little Santa’s grotto.

“We don’t know exactly how many lights there are and I haven’t looked at the electricity meter or else I might be crying. There’s hundreds and hundreds.”

More information on how to donate can be found on Julie and Mark’s Justgiving page.