In 2006, I unexpectedly had open heart surgery to replace my Aortic heart valve during my final year at university. I’m happy to report that I've made a full recovery and next week I will be setting off with my brother to attempt climb Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe.
Surgery
The night before my surgery I could not climb a flight of stairs without getting breathless. Shortly after my surgery, I agreed with my brother that one day we’d try to climb Mont Blanc not knowing if my recovery would ever allow it.
Recovery
Whilst I recovered quickly from the surgery, at first I didn’t have the confidence to run more than a few metres. I’ve gradually set increasing goals and now I’m running 10km, three times a week to prepare for the challenge, so I’m delighted to have even got this far.
Mont Blanc:
I will be setting off with my brother James to attempt climb Mont Blanc, a goal we set in the early days of my recovery. The challenge will test us both physically and mentally, and that’s if the mountain and weather allow us to get near the top! We will be heading out a few days before we climb to do an acclimatisation peak and check that all the climbing gear is working before setting off up the glacier for a few days, climbing through the night and hoping to summit at dawn to enjoy the view from the top of Europe.
Wessex HeartBeat
I simply would not be where I am without the excellent care of the medical team at Southampton hospital and the Wessex Heartbeat charity that supports it so I would be grateful if you’d consider supporting me in saying thank you to a cause that could not be closer to my heart! To find out more visit: http://www.heartbeat.co.uk/
I would also not have been able to get this far without fantastic family, friends and colleagues to whom I will always be very grateful.
There are many people doing great things for great causes, and I’ve held back on the fundraising to ensure that a particular hero and inspiration, Andy Jackson, gets his target but I’d really appreciate your support.
Will
