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Brothers Ian and Anthony Whitington kickstart mission to help dad Geoff, from Singleton, overcome series of health issues

A grandfather from Ashford has found himself at the centre of a new documentary focusing on his physical and emotional fight against type two diabetes.

Security guard Geoff Whitington, from Singleton, has suffered from the life-threatening condition for the past 10 years.

However when he was told by his GP that amputation was a possibility last November, his two sons, Ian and Anthony, made it their mission to get Geoff’s health back on track.

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Geoff Whitington is on a health mission
Geoff Whitington is on a health mission

Anthony, 36, from Woodchurch, said: “Our dad has some serious health conditions including type two diabetes, heart problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and Charcot’s Foot.

“In late 2013, he weighed over 19 stone. He was being kept alive by a cocktail of drugs which thinned his blood, lowered his cholesterol, regulated his blood sugar, lowered his blood pressure and made him able to live in a body that was close to collapse.

“Ian and I are experienced in film-making and we thought it was a good time to start a project and sort his health out.

Brothers Anthony and Ian Whitington filming Geoff's journey
Brothers Anthony and Ian Whitington filming Geoff's journey

“We’ve been recording dad’s progress ever since.”

Following his health scare, Geoff, 62, embarked on a healthy-eating plan and started a new exercise regime, spurred on by his two sons, which included cycling and swimming.

He has since lost five stone and his circulation has improved.

Getting fit: Geoff with son's Anthony and Ian and grandson Angus
Getting fit: Geoff with son's Anthony and Ian and grandson Angus

The brothers have now launched a Kickstarter project to help them complete an emotional 'warts and all' documentary, called Fixing Dad.

The brothers added: “Dad has given his life to ensure we or anybody close to him never went without. This is about us giving something back and giving him the support he needs.

“If our route to success inspires just one person to help another person get back on the right road we have done our job.”

“But an even bigger aspect of Fixing Dad is Geoff’s emotional journey towards genuine happiness, finding hobbies other than bad food, and taking on new and sometimes terrifying challenges, including a 100 mile cycle race and a skydive.

“We’re using our film-making experience to document the journey and to provide a resource for all the other people out there who have fallen victim to the temptations, stresses and let downs of life.

“If our route to success inspires just one person to help another person get back on the right road we have done our job.”

The family have already recorded around 100 hours of footage and need £5,500 to complete the documentary.

Video: The documentary produced by the brothers

To support the family visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/fixingdad/fixing-dad-a-feature-documentary-film.

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