Story
Hello lovely people,
Visiting this page is good evidence that you are kind, compassionate or maybe just curious but whatever your motivation I don’t mind as I hope to persuade you to part with a little (or a lot!) of your hard-earned cash to help sick children in the UK and from abroad.
On the 11th June, 2010 I will be embarking on an expedition to climb Mount. Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, to raise money for The Children's Hospital Charity, fusing my love of perilous pursuits with what I hope you will agree is an extremely worthwhile cause. Although the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity is one of only four NHS children's trusts in the UK (the others are Manchester, Great Ormond Street and Birmingham) its profile needs boosting – it could have done with a share of the X Factor single takings but sadly that just went to Great Ormond Street.
But who needs a percentage of a pop record when I have you generous people
reading this page?
Having lived in Sheffield for nearly three years and walking past it every day,
the Hospital has become familiar to me BUT apparently many people are not aware
of its importance and pioneering work, admitting patients from all over the UK
and from abroad, championing new techniques and treatments in a friendly and
relaxed environment. Having recently visited the hospital I was overwhelmed by
the level of dedication and commitment evident and so have decided to donate
the proceeds of my fund-raising to the ‘Kids Scanner Appeal’.
The Scanner, a coveted '64 slice' piece of equipment, will not only allow clearer, 3D images for diagnosis but will emit lower doses of radiation and be more efficient in reducing the amount of time the patient has to lie and be scanned. This is especially important for children who are frightened and will also avoid an intrusive operation in some cases. Using the new CT Scanner Clinicians can see various images of a child’s bones and tissue; for example a CT scanner would pick up fractures and breaks in bones and abnormality in tissue, such a brain tumours. This is such a fantastic cause so please, please, please, donate.
I have other fund-raising activities which will also contribute to the target but, as the highest mountain Africa, at 5896m, Kilimanjaro will be quite a challenge. Sitting on the northern border of Tanzania, and just over 200 miles south of the Equator, the breathable oxygen at the top is less than half the amount than is common at sea level and presents one of the most difficult aspects of the climb so wish me luck and donate and make all my pain worthwhile!!!
The Children’s Hospital Charity will be extremely grateful for any donation, big or small, as it moves ever closer to getting that scanner. My fund-raising target is scarily high but I would like to surpass it for such a fantastic cause. Thank-you for visiting the page and for your support! Kate Dobinson