In April 2014 my brother, father and grandmother were blessed enough to visit the Holy City of Karbala [Iraq] for their own ziyarat (pilgrimage). All was going well on their paths of spiritual enlightenment until my brother - aged 15 that time - fell gravely ill to the point he couldn't walk or support even his body weight whilst sitting. My father - being a heart patient - had to push him in a wheelchair from Jannat Al-Hussein to the Safeer Al-Hussein medical centre, the journey being about 20 minutes, 2-3 miles on foot. Having to constantly stop for my brother to throw up, my fathers tears and cries of helplessness as he walked passed the rozas (shrines) were hysterical at the prospect of the possibility of losing his son. As my brother kept falling in and out of consciousness, my father told me that during this 20 minute journey all he could think about was Imam Hussein (a.s) holding Ali Akbar (a.s) in his arms.. When they arrived to the medical centre, my brother was immediately given a bed and his treatment started straight away - a drip and medication, he had severe debilitating gastroenteritis and a complication of other illnesses as well as severe dehydration.

For the amazing work Safeer Al-Hussein medical centre did for my brother and thousands like my brother; I'd like to give them something back. The medical centre itself is ran purely on donations, it's located right in front of Imam Hussein's (a.s) shrine. The centre is ran by volunteers purely out of the love they have in their hearts for the cause of the Ahlulbayt (a.s). They're in desperate need for more beds, more blankets and more medicines etc.

We're hoping to raise as much as we can, I'm going to be doing the three peaks challenge sometime next year - this involves climbing the three highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland within 24 hours. Those who will also like to be a part of this challenge are free to join.