County Durham gran cycling from France to Durham after the death of daughter and grandson
Alison Warner has set-up a fundraiser to have a haven room at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
Last updated 2nd Oct 2024
A County Durham gran tells us their lives will never be the same again, after a drunk driver killed her daughter and grandson.
On the 31st May, 8-month-old Zachary Blades and his 30-year-old aunt Karlene were tragically killed in a car crash as they were driving home from Newcastle airport.
Darryl Anderson, 38, was drunk and taking pictures of himself driving at 141mph along the A1 (M) before colliding into their car.
Alison Warner, Karlene's mum and Zach's grandmother, says that she wants to raise money for a haven room in Darlington Memorial Hospital and name it 'the together room' after Zackary and Karlene.
Next week, Alison will be starting her cycle journey from France to County Durham and travelling over 700 miles.
She said: "He'll be counting down the years, but there's no countdown for us. He gave us the death date for my daughter and grandson.
"People say to just remember the memories of what you have of them. But, you don't as it's the memories you don't have. If you go out, and you're out for a meal, and you see a mother and a child, you think that should be my daughter.
"You go out to the shop and you see toys in the shop, I have to walk away as I think that I'd be buying that for Zach.
"When the accident happened we stayed in the RVI in Newcastle hospital and we were given a haven room. It's your own private room where you could have a cup of coffee or shower. It's much needed as we used to visit Karlene and Zachary everyday.
"Not all hospitals have them. When this happened Shalorna said that every hospital should have them these rooms for tragic circumstances, as you don't want to be sat in A&E visiting your loves ones.
"My daughter would have been 31 on the 25th October and I wasn't home last year when it was her 30th. I regret that, so this year I want to do something special."