In November 2019, to celebrate my 50th birthday, I will attempting to trek up Kilimanjaro, the highest point on the continent of Africa. This is a self-funded, personal challenge, but I am also using the event to raise funds and awareness for the Jess Grant Celebration charity.

The summit of Kilimanjaro, an extinct volcano, stands at 5895m above sea level. The actual trek begins at about 2300m, so I have 3500m (1000 flights of stairs in the Fitbit world) to ascend, whilst hopefully avoiding the effects of Acute Mountain Sickness.

Jess Grant Celebration charity was set up in 2018 in memory of Jess by her mum and dad to fund music therapy.

Jess’ passion was music - both listening to and playing her beloved electric guitar, and more recently her drums. And it was music that helped Jess cope with the 3.5 years of gruelling treatments and operations she faced after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, in September 2014, at the age of 11. Despite many months of high intensity chemotherapy, multiple surgical procedures and experimental treatment options, devastatingly Jess died in January 2018, aged 15.

Jess Grant Celebration is raising money for other children suffering from medical conditions. Inspired by Jess, the charity is currently focusing on initiating and supporting a new music therapist service for Ipswich hospital’s children’s department.

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