On October 7th 2015 the lives of the Barrow family changed forever when their handsome, funny, cheeky & talented 11-year-old son, Felix, was involved in a RTA which left him fighting for his life. Without the quick intervention of the Hampshire & IOW Air Ambulance & the Paediatric Intensive Care team at University Hospital Southampton things would have had a whole different outcome.

Eighteen months later, Felix has made remarkable progress; he is now back on a bicycle, has ventured into the pool and last September defied the odds and returned to school. His journey is by no means over and he has achieved these milestones through the amazing support of his family and friends. He still has a way to go and requires regular physiotherapy, as well as speech and language therapy and specialist equipment to aid his continued physical and neurological rehabilitation.

So why climb a mountain? Vanessa and Kirsty have talked about climbing Kilimanjaro for several years and over too many glasses of wine to count and when Felix was seriously injured they were inspired to put the plan into action. Vanessa wants to give something back to the inspirational teams that supported her son and no doubt saved his life in the crucial hours following his accident and Kirsty, inspired by Felix’s courage and determination is pushing herself out of her comfort zone to raise money for these excellent causes.

This adventure will not only be a massive personal challenge for them both but will be raising much needed funds for HIOWAA, PICU & Felix's future.

Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa rising to over 19,000ft above sea level. The aim of the climb is to raise £8000, if you would like to support Kirsty and Vanessa, please donate through the just giving page.