Landlord raises money for hospital ward that saved his life

On #RandomActsofKindnessDay, we share the story of landlord Matt Hinks. A random act of kindness from a doctor at his local hospital inspired him to raise thousands of pounds for the unit that ultimately saved his life. First published in NRLA magazine, Property.

On 18th September 2021, landlord Matt Hinks had spent a typical Saturday afternoon watching his beloved Portsmouth Football Club play.

A lifelong ‘Pompey’ – Portsmouth FC supporter-he never misses a home match.

And while Matt can recall feeling slightly ‘under the weather’ that day, he took a COVID test which came back negative and went to the game as usual, putting it down to a heavy cold.

Few could have predicted what would happen later the next day.

After returning home from the football match, things spiralled, so that Matt hardly slept and spent the night sitting on his sofa. His wife Karen, totally unaware, woke to find Matt in great distress with his breathing and immediately called NHS 111.

Within hours, Matt was hooked up to a ventilator in the Critical Care Unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital Portsmouth, unable to walk or talk.

“I came back from the football and my wife said I looked in a really bad way. I was having some trouble breathing, but thought nothing of it.”

“When we phoned NHS 111 I remember I barely had any breath to answer the operator’s questions. They were really concerned because I’m also a Type 1 diabetic, so they sent an ambulance to take me to hospital”.

Initial tests on the way to hospital revealed Matt had very low oxygen levels.

“There was a point where I did feel I wouldn’t make it. The last thing I remember was having a CT scan, and not long after I must have passed out”.

Matt was diagnosed with pneumonia, not Covid, and the consultants decided at this point to put him on a ventilator, controlling both movement and breathing for four days.  He was bought round the following Friday.

“I was spectacularly cared for. It all happened so quickly and the doctors and nurses ended up doing everything for me”; says Matt.

Matt was so grateful to the nurses who cared for him and went the extra mile to ensure he was comfortable, even making sure he didn’t miss out on listening to any of the Portsmouth games while he was in hospital.

“The unit bought me a small DAB radio so I could to listen to the Portsmouth FC matches live from my hospital bed, which I must say helped me enormously while I was recovering, especially hearing the team win”.

After two weeks, Matt left the hospital’s high dependency unit and was discharged.

“The first week at home was tough, I was trying to build up my strength again. At the time I could only manage to walk 40 yards from my house to the nearest lamppost”, he said.

Recovering at home and with ‘lots of time on his hands’, Matt was keen to find a project to focus his attention on, and a way of showing his gratitude to the medical team who cared for him.

“Before I was in hospital, I would often walk ten thousand steps a day, no problem. I’m a Portsmouth person, and because of what I’d been through I had a huge incentive to raise money for the local hospital unit that saved my life”.

Matt had the idea to combine his need to walk longer distances with raising money for the critical care unit at Queen Alexandra hospital. He set about organising a sponsored walk round the circumference of Portsea Island, approximately fifteen miles.

“We live near a beautiful foreshore, which is a three-mile round walk, which we had walked most days during lockdown.  Each day during my recovery I’d try and get out of the house and see how many lampposts I could reach. It wasn’t long before I could walk round the block, and not so long before I was able to walk along the foreshore again. I kept this up as part of my training for the sponsored walk”.

As well as being an NRLA member, Matt is also a member of the Portsmouth and District Private Landlords Association (PDPLA), which is affiliated with the NRLA. Friends, family members and fellow landlords at the PDPLA helped sponsor his walk.

Matt (third from left) with family and friends who supported him during the fundraising walk.

After eight months of tough training, the big day of the walk had arrived.

“On 30th May 2022, myself and my wife closed the front door just after eight o’clock, and set off to complete the walk. My friend James also walked with us, my brother Nick, and our friend Sue also joined us some of the way, so it was a real team effort. We took a bucket with us and raised an additional £150 mostly when walking along the two-mile promenade on the seafront. People are so generous”.

It was when they were three miles into the walk, walking along a busy stretch of road that Matt found to be the toughest part.

“We reached Eastern Road which is a very long road and quite bleak sometimes, as you are off the shoreline due to ongoing sea defence works. I’d say that was hardest part of the walk, but knowing we were raising funds for such a good cause spurred us on”.

“On the day itself the adrenaline took hold and really got me through. I needed a huge amount of carbs on the walk due to my diabetes. As tough as it was, I had a real desire to finish because the walk had a purpose”.

Six hours and fifteen miles later-Matt and his supportive team crossed the finish line.

“We finished the walk at Mountbatten Sports Centre, and some of the staff actually came out and cheered us all over the finish line which gave me goosebumps”, says Matt. “I was absolutely knackered the next day, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat”.

At the time of going to print, Matt and the team have raised £2,500 for the critical care unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital, in Cosham, Portsmouth.

Matt and Karen have been landlords for ten years, letting out three two-bedroom flats in central Portsmouth and a three-bedroom house and two-bedroom flat in Gosport.

Matt continues to see his beloved Pompey play each week and has also discovered a new hobby.

“The money we raised will go towards the critical care unit at the hospital, so the wonderful staff can continue to support other patients on their road to recovery.

“As for me, I’m pleased to say I’ve fully recovered from the pneumonia and walking has become another hobby of mine now, I rarely walk less than 14,000 steps a day.  Walking along the beautiful Portsmouth coastline-there’s no better place to be”.

Are you a landlord with an inspiring story of fundraising or volunteering to share? To be featured in NRLA magazine Property, please email [email protected].