Bognor barbershop raises nearly £3,000 to help bring Adam home

Adam Fil, 34, wrote the message from his hospital bed in Royal Hospital, Putney, after learning that The Man Barbershop in Bognor Regis launched a Christmas Eve fundraiser for the specialist support that will get him back on his feet.

"You must be sure what a hero you are, without mask costume or star,” it reads. “Today you are doing what you love, but also sharing your help, giving me hope.”

A ‘loving father’ of three, Adam first contracted Covid-19 in August 2021. After he was taken to Queen Alexandra hospital, doctors found four different bacterial infections in his system. He was placed in a medically induced coma, after which he suffered from an ischemic stroke, sepsis, a cerebral haemorrhage and collapsed lungs.

Against all odds, the Amazon operations manager pulled through, but now needs specialist physiotherapy from a private clinic in Poland to have any chance of a normal life.

The barbers contributed approximately £2,800 to Adam’s treatment, hosting a Christmas Eve fundraising day, complete with a BBQ, live music, face painting, a raffle and, of course, haircuts.

Staff member Ebo Dukan said: “It was a really good day. We had a lot of people come in and raised a lot of money.

"It feels good to know we’ve collected something and done something to help. A lot of our customers chipped in or donated drinks for the raffle. People who walked by would stop would see the BBQ and stop, get some cake or a sandwich and put a couple of quid in.”

The fundraiser was well-supported by local businesses, with everything from beauty shops to gyms contributing vouchers to the raffle. The Christmas Eve fundraiser is a yearly tradition for the Linden Road barbershop, with previous events raising money for Southampton Hospital, and a boy with a serious medical condition known as PANDAS.

"It’s amazing, really, when you’re doing something to help someone out – it’s the best feeling in the world,” Mr Dukan added.

"We only do this once a year – on Christmas Eve – but we make it really special.”