A SPONSORED goal kicking event has raised more than �500 in memory of a talented young doctor who was killed in a car accident in Africa. Former professional rugby player Ciaran Hill, of Camp Road, St Albans, kicked for 12 hours non-stop at Old Albanians

A SPONSORED goal kicking event has raised more than �500 in memory of a talented young doctor who was killed in a car accident in Africa.

Former professional rugby player Ciaran Hill, of Camp Road, St Albans, kicked for 12 hours non-stop at Old Albanians Rugby Club in aid of The Laura Case Trust, which predominately supports education and medical projects in Africa.

The 29 year old, who is now a cardiothoracic surgeon, headed out to Kenya last weekend to carry out some work for the trust, which was set up in memory of trainee doctor Laura Case who died in 2007.

Ciaran played Rugby League for Salford Reds and Rugby Union for Manchester and North Wales but left after sustaining a couple of serious injuries.

He was training as a physiotherapist but decided to become a doctor instead and qualified as a junior surgeon three years ago. He is currently working in an Essex hospital but is planning to specialise in neurosurgery which requires a further 10 years in training.

He was working with 24-year-old Laura's boyfriend at University College London Hospital in Euston when she was killed in a car accident in Uganda, where she was working in a hospital as part of her final year medical training.

Ciaran said: "It stayed with me. She sounded like such a vibrant and proactive person. So when I was thinking about going to Africa to do some neurosurgery work I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise some money for the trust."

Ciaran will be working with neurosurgeons in the Kenyatta Hospital, Kenya, for two weeks to see what he can learn from them and what he can do to help.

It's one of many medical areas that The Laura Case Trust raises money to support.

Ciaran continued: "Kenyatta is a large hospital in Nairobi that is one of only three major neurosurgery centres in Africa, an area where the ratio of people to neurosurgeons is around 10 million to one. I'm hoping to take some surgical equipment out and identify some new projects over there."

To sponsor Ciaran retrospectively visit www.justgiving.com/cshill and to find out more about The Laura Case Trust visit www.thelauracasetrust.org