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An 80-year-old former headteacher, who smashed his target of £2,000 after walking 80km for a Multiple Sclerosis charity, has been “blown away” by the generosity of islanders, former pupils and their parents.
Keith Jarvis spent the month of his 80th birthday walking 80km the MS Trust, a charity which supports those with multiple sclerosis, a condition that both his son Nick, and Nick’s fiancé, Kate, live with.
When Express initially covered Keith’s mission last week, he had reached 65km of his journey, and raised just over £1,600.
Pictured: Keith said that walking had made him appreciate how "stunningly beautiful" Jersey is.
Last Thursday (April 8), Keith hit his 80km, and has now raised over £2,400 for the MS Trust, and is hoping that he can finish the final stretch of fundraising with over £2,500.
He has credited past students and their parents as a big chunk of these contributors, stating how overwhelmed he was that three generations of students had donated.
“I started teaching in Jersey in the 1960s in St Clement’s School, and I’ve actually had some pupils who I taught in the 1970s at St Clement’s send messages through and donations,” he remarked.
Keith then taught at St. Martin’s School in the 1980s, to which he has traced some donations, and then Plat Douet in the 90s, from which he said he received “hordes” of donations.
Pictured: Keith's walks have taken him from down in the valleys to up onto the coastal paths.
“I could never calculate how many children have gone through my hands in all those years. Lots of people I remember, but to think they still remember me is quite mind blowing,” he said.
He added he wanted to “send a huge thank you and appreciation”, saying: “I’m so blown away by people’s generosity, and people’s good wishes, it’s been a wonderful response.”
His walks over the past month, which his wife, Sue, alongside various friends, have brought him round the island, from the valleys to the North Coast, and made him appreciate how “stunningly beautiful” it is.
However, for Keith, the most important part of it all has been raising awareness for the MS Trust.
Pictured: Keith began his teaching career on the island in the 60s, teaching in St Clement.
His son, Nick was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2011, a condition affecting the brain and spinal cord, causing a range of symptoms including problems with vision, arm and leg movement, sensation and balance, as well as being a lifelong condition that can cause serious disability.
The MS Trust offers support to those who are suffering with MS, as well as relatives, helping them understand the condition, offering insight into living with MS, as well as therapies available, and research on new drug therapies.
“They’re always there for anyone at the end of the phone to talk about things, discuss things, and that’s what it’s brought home to us… things would look a lot blacker [without them], because we wouldn’t know what was going on,” he explained.
Talking about the type of broader awareness of MS he wanted to raise, he illustrated how it is not always a visible condition, highlighting how those suffering can sometimes seem adrift or even fall asleep during conversation due to the chronic fatigue brought on by lesions in the brain.
“If people are prepared to read the MS Trust’s papers or talk to anybody [at the charity], it would make people aware,” he said.
Following his 80th, Keith has now continued his walks past the initial target, and is now up to 92km.
He is aiming for the big 100km, and is hoping he can go the extra mile and reach £2,500 or more before the fundraiser winds down in just under two weeks.
On plans for any future treks after this, he laughed: “Somebody did say what are you going to do for your 90th – I’m thinking about it!”
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