Thank you all so much for your donations - Joe, Mike and Hera's 3 Peak Challenge in August raised over £4000 for John - with donations still coming in.

John's friend Benita is now adding her own fundraising challenge to Everest Base Camp:

EVEREST BASE CAMP 3 WEEK FUNDRAISING TREK! - by BENITA

I am John's friend and former work mate and this is my challenge:

ON 17th OCTOBER I will be heading off to Nepal to start a 3 week journey to trek to Basecamp Mount Everest. Over those 3 weeks I will be trekking for 124km reaching an altitude of 17,590 feet. On one of the days as an additional trek I will be attempting to go to Kala Pattar, which is slightly higher than Basecamp at 18,519 feet. I want to help John and his family raise as much money as possible to help John return home to be with his family and support his future medical and health needs. Thank you so much.

As you may be aware, John was travelling south-east Asia in the summer of 2015 when he contracted Japanese encephalitis. This extremely rare disease has had a devastating effect on John's life and that of his family.

Japanese encephalitis is a rare mosquito borne tropical virus which severely affects the brain and spinal cord, affecting movement, swallowing and breathing. Of just 70,000 acute cases worldwide each year one third die, one third fully recover over time, and one third are left disabled. In John's case, while he is able to move his head, some fingers and to a small extent his legs he is currently wheelchair bound.

While all this has been devastating for John and all who knew him it looks an even starker position when thinking what a sporty, athletic, intelligent and personable man John has always been. John has always enjoyed life so much and lived it to the full.

However John seems to remain positive and keeps on smiling! This is showing what we all know to be John's great enjoyment of his friends, true character and fighting spirit!

While currently still in a rehab facility John is now hoping to move back home where he can have more bespoke rehab therapy, be free for social visits and enjoy his friends and family.

We are therefore looking to John's future and what he may need as he moves forward. We want to raise money to help him with whatever those needs may be. This may be rehab therapy needs, accommodation needs, specialist equipment, John's transport needs etc. We hope as things move forward this will help John to enjoy and get the most out of his life.