Hello!

On 24 February 2013, we will be setting off on a 7 day trek with Discover Adventure to climb Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Although Freyja will officially be the team doctor, we will together be raising funds for the Cornwall Air Ambulance.

Please sponsor us, and here's why….

Thanks

Naomi and Freyja xx

 

About our trek

 

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the African continent at 5896m. We will be hiking the Machame route and (hopefully) will reach the summit on 28 February. You can find out more about the trek (and get an idea of what we've let ourselves in for) at www.discoveradventure.com

 

So why the Cornwall Air Ambulance?

 

For everyone who spends time in Cornwall, the Air Ambulance's red and yellow helicopter flying overhead is likely to be a familiar sight. You may even have seen it landing on the beach…

 

For our family, the air ambulance has a special significance.

 

As most of you know, last year our Mum, Gillian Brown, suffered a pulmonary embolism at home in Bude (North Cornwall). The Cornwall Air Ambulance rushed her to Plymouth's Derriford hospital (around 50 miles away) for emergency treatment. Sadly despite the efforts of the ambulance team and the hospital staff, Mum didn't recover and died later that day.

 

Although our Mum didn't survive, thanks to the efforts of the Cornwall Air Ambulance many people who are seriously ill or injured in Cornwall do.

 

You can find out about the Cornwall Air Ambulance at www.helimed181.co.uk but here are some attention grabbing facts and figures –

 

Cornwall has only two major accident and emergency hospitals, located sixty miles apart at Truro and Plymouth. Many Cornwall residents and visitors can be up to two hours' drive away. The Air Ambulance, however, can reach any part of the county within 20 minutes and on average arrives on scene within 12 minutes of a 999 call.

 

Despite it being such an integral part of Cornwall's emergency services, the Air Ambulance receives no official funding. It relies entirely on fundraising to keep flying.

 

The service costs on average £33,000 a week to run (depending on the number of missions). To keep the Air Ambulance flying in 2012 it needs to raise around £1.7 million.

 

Our target

 

We are hoping to raise £5,000 or in other words enough to keep the Air Ambulance flying for one day.

 

Just one. But to someone who is seriously ill or injured that day it will make all the difference.

 

Please give what you can. Thank you.