Carol Mitchell’s mission to help sick Ugandan children

Carol Mitchell, health visitor, founded the Transport for Ugandan Sick Children

Carol Mitchell, a Rochdale-based health visitor, founded the Transport for Ugandan Sick Children (TUSC) charity and now visits twice a year during holidays from work.

Mum-of-three Carol, 54, explained she first went out to Uganda with another charity more than five years ago to carry out health checks on children.

She soon realised many needed to travel to see a doctor or attend hospital had no way of getting there.

She began fundraising and was able to buy a mini-bus and hire a driver who takes those in need from small villages in Jinja to national health centres up to four hours away.

Carol said: “It’s a very small scale thing but for some people it makes a big difference. If people don’t have a way to get to hospital they can’t get the care they need or get care for their children.

“We take women in labour to the hospital, they can’t get there on the back of a motorbike which is the other option. We also take children with disabilities for physiotherapy and staff from clinics to do HIV outreach work.

“Going out there has made me value what I have and appreciate things differently.

“I’ve had a lot of support from friends and colleagues at home which has made it all possible.”

Carol, who lives in Bacup in Rossendale, uses her holidays from her regular job to visit the project and also spent six months there last year to develop the charity.

She and friends are now fundraising to replace the mini-bus used for transport and hope to raise the £12,000 needed as well as funding the £700 a month running costs for the bus and driver.

Other staff from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust have joined Carol on some trips, providing vital healthcare to people in the isolated area.

Carol is planning her next trip to the TUSC project in November.

For more information or to support Carol’s visit https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/tusc