Lungs

In 1980, when he was 56, me Da had his first heart attack. 60 fags a day man, he was.........until then. He couldn’t breathe after that. Painful to watch.

In 2023/2024 my best friend (my wife) lost her parents to two very different types of lung cancer. They too, knew what it was like to be unable to breathe.

Me? Well. I’m 56 but, unlike me Da, I’m not a 60 fags a day man. But, I do know what it’s like to be unable to breathe. Cat allergy! I can’t write here the expletive I often use about our feline friends. Exposure to cats renders me breathless, gasping for air for about a week, and there’s no worse a feeling.

Winston Churchill said "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." So. What am I giving?:

I’m carrying Orange Teddy to the bottom of the top of the world. In so doing, I’ll put myself through hell and high altitude. For a minimum of five days, I’ll be above 4,000m, working effectively on only half a lung. On 10th April I set off to Nepal. On 14th April I will begin the 65km (40 mile) trek from Lukla to Kala Patthar (5,545m) then, on 22nd April, stay overnight at Everest Base Camp (5,364m). The low oxygen, altitude sickness and potential to clap-out terrify me but, you know what they say........”if the challenge doesn’t scare you, it isn’t big enough”.

Everyone knows someone who’s dealing with cancer. This fundraiser is specifically for Lung Cancer Research. I’m reaching high, so I ask you to dig deep and give just a few coppers.

Where I have signal, I'll add an update to this fundraiser page. So, if you're interested in my progress, or just delight in seeing me suffer, click on the JustGiving link.

Thank you for your kindness.