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Reaching Africa's Highest Peak
I've been raising money for PSC Support by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in June 2013. I self funded the attempt and so 100% of all donations are goingdirectly to help PSC Support and their work. At 5,895M / 19,341ft high there is approximately 50% less oxygen available at Kilimanjaro's summit than you'd find at sea level. It’s was the most challenging thing i've done so far in my life.
You can follow my experinces, thoughts, preparations and leave me comments on my blog, on facebook and twitter.
Why did I climb Kili?
Martine, my wife suffers from Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and so I want to help PSC Support, the UK PSC charity. Martine was diagnosed in 2007 with PSC when our daughter, Sophie was 15 months old. We’d never heard of PSC and within Singapore (where we lived at the time) there were no other sufferers or meaningful medical experience of the disease. Our family went through a very difficult period where our outlook was very unsure and “Googling” PSC just delivered inconsistent, depressing information and a bleak prognosis. PSC Support gave us information and support to help us all come to terms with Martine’s illness. Both Martine and I now volunteer for PSC Support to help others affected by PSC.
About PSC
PSC is a rare incurable disease that has no known cause, cure or treatment. It causes the bile ducts both inside and outside the liver to become scarred, narrowed and eventually blocked. As more ducts become blocked, bile becomes trapped and damages the liver, leading to cirrhosis and liver failure.
Symptoms along the way can often include:
• Chronic, debilitating fatigue
• Severe, uncontrollable itching
• Dangerous infections of the bile ducts
• Pain in the body’s Upper Right Quadrant
• Jaundice
PSC sufferers often have associated autoimmune diseases, most commonly inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. As well as all that they also have a significant increase in the risks of bowel, liver and pancreatic cancers. Basically, you just don’t want to get PSC.
About PSC Support
PSC Support is a UK charity, totally run by volunteers, that helps people affected by PSC, including sufferers themselves, and their families. Your donation to PSC Support will make a real difference and will help provide information and support to those affected by PSC, promote PSC and organ donation awareness and develop effective partnerships with those involved with treatment and vitally needed research into PSC.
JustGiving makes donating easy
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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
Please Donate Now
So please dig deep to help support a cause so very close to my family. Each and every donation, no matter of size is truly appreciated!
Thank you.
Matt
