A COVID-hit family is taking on a 40-mile walking challenge to help return to health.

After being struck by coronavirus last November, returning to health has felt slow progress for Ian, Steph and four-year-old William Ruell of Gilesgate Moor, Durham.

Determined to get back to their pre-virus fitness, the Ruell family has decided to take on the challenge of walking 40 miles in 40 days as part of Oasis Community Housing’s Mile In Their Shoes event.

It was following William’s school flu jab that Steph noticed he had a temperature.

Steph, 32, said: “William was a little unwell over the weekend, but we put it down to his flu vaccination as he’d had a similar reaction the year before.

“We figured there was no way that any of us had Covid-19 as we hadn’t seen family or friends for nine months, we’d been working from home, wearing masks everywhere.”

A couple of days after taking their Covid-19 tests, Steph and Ian also started to feel unwell and then William’s test came back positive.

Steph said: “I broke down. It was absolute fear. By this point Ian and I were feeling breathless. We usually ran a couple of times a week, but I suddenly found walking up the stairs hard. It was like breathing in talcum powder.”

William bounced back from the virus relatively quickly, but Steph and Ian’s symptoms progressed to include the characteristic cough and loss of taste and smell. The couple changed their diet to try and help their immune system, but for Ian in particular the effects of the virus have lingered.

Steph said: “We’ve been out sledging with William, going up and down hills, and the next day Ian has been flattened.

“It has made us realise that we can’t jump back into doing what we were doing before. We need to take it easy to rebuild our health – and that’s why Oasis Community Housing’s walking challenge is perfect, especially as William adored watching Captain Sir Tom Moore do his walk.”

Throughout Lent to April 3 Oasis Community Housing is holding the Mile In Their Shoes challenge to raise awareness of the many miles that homeless people walk to access support, food or keep warm.

Steph and Ian have been supporters of the homeless charity for a couple of years after Ian’s brother, who was serving in the army, tragically took his own life. The couple were so grateful for the support they received from a range of charities that they wanted to give back.

Steph said: “We started looking into the reasons people commit suicide and we found that a huge proportion of people who take their own lives are homeless. The sheer numbers are shocking.

“We run our own architectural design business, so feel passionately about housing and with Oasis Community Housing doing such great work with homeless people across the North East they’ve become a charity very close to our hearts.”

To support the Ruells, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/StephanieRuell. Or more information visit oasiscommunityhousing.org.