As some of you will know, after a 19-month battle my Dad died in April 2011 from pancreatic cancer. After his diagnosis, one of the hardest things was having to accept that there was nothing that could be done to save him. All we could do as his family was watch him slowly fade away. Dad loved his life and wasn’t ready to leave this world. He fought this dreadful disease with courage, dignity and determination, but in the end, it took him away from us and I think about him and miss him every single day. I wanted to do something challenging to raise money for this cause, which is so close to my heart, in memory of my brave Dad, who never gave up.

Pancreatic cancer is known as the silent killer. By the time it is diagnosed it is usually too late. It has the worst survival rate of any common cancer – only 3 in every 100 people diagnosed will live for 5 years. This figure has not improved in 40 years. This cancer is so aggressive, by the time it’s diagnosed, 90% of people will be told that they are terminally ill and given 6-12 months to live. Pancreatic cancer is the UK’s 5th biggest cancer killer, yet receives less than 2% overall research funding. With a higher profile I hope that more attention and funding will be allocated to this disease.

The trek is 38 miles long and I’ll be trekking an average of 6-8 hours each day over the course of 6 days. The terrain will be very challenging in places with steep inclines, crumbling rocky paths and of course A LOT of steps - all at high altitude.

Each month between now and October, I will be making contributions myself, with the aim of covering 100% of the cost of the challenge to ensure that all donations go straight to the charity. 

Please give generously and make a difference.

 

Thank you.

 

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So please dig deep and donate now.