Hi Peeps

So, in a month's time I will be walking backwards off a cliff to raise money and awareness for The Aortic Centre Trust, in memory of my awesome friend; the remarkable, redoubtable James Griffiths. 

I'm hoping that this uncharacteristic act of bravery and exertion may prompt people to pledge a few pennies or pounds.  Those who know me better will be aware that I am particularly graceless and clumsy, so this may also be persuasive.

The Aortic Centre Trust is a small but mighty charity, best described by this extract from their website:

Diseases of the aorta cause 5,000 deaths per year in the UK.  That compares with 11,000 deaths from prostate cancer and a similar number of deaths from breast cancer. 

Aortic diseases are rarer than these common cancers but whereas everyone has heard about prostate & breast cancer, many people are blissfully unaware of the existence of their aorta. 

Elective (planned) surgery for aortic aneurysms carries a low risk with a very high success rate.  By the time an aorta ruptures, the risk of death rises to greater than 50%. 

ACT wants to change that,

• We want people who are at risk to be aware of the risk
• We want those who have aortic problems to get the treatment that they need before it becomes an emergency
• We want to help with research into better treatment and prevention

Treated early enough, pretty much every one of those 5000 deaths is preventable

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.