Hi,

Our team of eleven all completed the trek to Machu Picchu in June, although it was hard work. We had to contend with altitude sickness, shared tents, snoring, hours and hours of walking uphill, dodgy toilets, emotional struggles, being smelly and each other for ten days, but we did it. Luckily chocolate was supplied on some days, otherwise it might have been a different story.

I hope Mandy would have been proud of us.

We're still counting, but at the moment we think we have raised around £70K for UHNS, with my sponsorship (including Microsoft matching - thanks Bill) at around £16K.

Thanks to everyone for your support, we couldn't have done this without it :).

Dibs

Welcome to my sponsorship page. In June next year I am trekking to Machu Picchu with a team of relatives and friends to raise money for breast cancer care.

We have decided to do this to raise money for the breast cancer unit where my sister Mandy had her treatment. In August 2006 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and we found out about a year later that her treatment did not work and that her cancer had spread. She died on 21st November 2007. To say we miss her is a huge understatement. None of us can imagine our lives without her, and we want to do our best to make sure other families do not have to experience this loss.

During Mandy's year of treatment she was lucky enough to be looked after by a fantastic group of doctors and nurses who gave her the best care possible, and supported her and her family all the way. We want to make sure that we raise enough to ensure that others get the same level of care that she had, and we also want to honour a wonderful mother, wife, sister and friend who was always courageous, optimistic and positive throughout her long and difficult treatment.

Our team is made up of my sister's husband, my brother and several of my sister's good friends. As Microsoft (my employer) is kind enough to match any sponsorship I make up to £7500, I have an individual sponsorship page. If you would like to sponsor any other members of the team please let me know.

We're taking a difficult route and will be short of home comforts. To make it worth our while, or just so that you can laugh without guilt at me surviving in a tent with my brother, with no access to loos, chocolate, showers or even clean water for ten days, please donate some money now!

Thanks very much for any contribution you make,

Debra.

By the way, my twin brother's page is here, if you want to sponsor him too (he does deserve it, and he tells Mandy's story much better then I can): http://www.justgiving.com/stuartkelly