Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page. This August, I will be climbing Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5895m. This will involve a 5 day ascent and 3 day decent of the mountain with a group of students I have not met before from the University of Exeter. As I embark on this challenge, I hope to raise both money and awareness for the Meningitis Research Foundation. Of course I will be covering the expenses of my trip so 100% of your donation is going to the MRF.

Meningitis is the swelling of the meninges, caused by bacteria/viruses entering the body. It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, children and young adults. 1 in 5 cases lead to permanent damage to the brain and spinal chord, including memory loss, recurrent seizures and loss of limbs. Meningitis can also lead to Sepsis which can be life-threatening if not treated quickly. It is the world’s 6th largest infectious disease killer, half of these deaths being children. Additionally, it affects more that 2.5 million people each year, but still lags behind others diseases in terms of funding.

Your donation to the Meningitis Research Foundation will help the charity achieve its goal of defeating the disease globally by 2030, which would save 200,000 lives each year! The money you give will fund scientific research to better understand the disease so that more effective treatments can be developed as well as providing support to the families of meningitis victims and helping increase awareness of the disease.

I think this is a great cause and would be extremely grateful for your support as I begin my training for this challenge :)