A 99-year-old war veteran has become a celebrity by raising at least 6.4 million pounds for Britain’s health service with a walk around his garden in the coronavirus crisis.
Retired army captain Tom Moore, who has used a walking frame to move around since breaking his hip, has set himself the target of walking the 25 metres around his garden 100 times before his 100th birthday later this month.
The story has lifted the hearts of a nation stuck in lockdown for the last month and weary of the relentless wave of grim news. So far, more than 12,000 people with COVID-19 have died in British hospitals, the fifth-highest total globally.
Moore had originally aimed to raise 500,000 pounds but that target has been smashed as media attention from around the globe has zoomed in on his garden in Bedfordshire, central England.
His son-in-law Colin Ingram said Moore wanted to give something back after receiving such good care from the state-run National Health Service (NHS) when he broke his hip two years ago and in subsequent hospital visits.
