Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This March and April my wonderful friend Elaine and I are tackling a trek to Everest Base Camp in aid of Kidney Research UK. We love the outdoors, adventuring and taking on a challenge but this is a big stretch for both of us! I'm a fan of heights at least but not sure how I'll fare with the terrain, dramatic temperature changes and altitude but I won't know until I try I guess...

We've chosen Kidney Research UK because it's very close to my heart at the moment. My dear dad was struck down towards the end of 2023 very close to complete kidney failure and has been on dialysis ever since. He is responding well thankfully and is awaiting a transplant in the (hopefully, near ish) future. In the meantime, it has been a massive adjustment to him as he was looking forward to lots of travel and seeing the world in his retirement (I take after him in that sense!) But I admire him so much for how he has taken it in his stride. We also have a dear friend who having already received one kidney transplant in his 30s is now awaiting another due to complications. So the more research that can be done towards these super important organs, the better.

I have been on my own kidney journey as well in the last year (a different kind of one.) Having had functional issues and sometimes debilitating pain with one of them all my adult life, last year I underwent several procedures and a couple of surgeries to get it sorted out (things didn't quite go to plan, let's just say!) But the outcome is now good and I can't thank the Frimley Hospital Urology Surgical team enough.

We've spent the last year training - or at least Laney has! (My plans were thwarted somewhat to say the least when I was called up in April unexpectedly to see if I'd be available for surgery for the first time). But I have put my mind and body to it since the beginning of this year having been given the all clear to go and feel I'm as prepared as I can be!

Any donations will mean so much to us and all of the support will too - just knowing you're behind us! (Whilst we give it our best Sam and Frodo up in the beautiful Himalayas). Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Elizabeth and Elaine xx

(And yep, odd donation target - it includes my fave numbers, ha!)

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