Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My husband John and I have had this trip booked since early 2015. Presented with the opportunity to raise money for charity, I couldn't decide which cause to choose.

Then my uncle and boss (at DSR Demolition) passed away in July at the age of only 56, after suffering breathing problems which took a sudden and severe turn for the worse. He was taken to intensive care and put in an induced coma, which sometimes helps the body to rest but it can also cause tremendous physical stress. It was too much for Dominic, who had battled rheumatoid arthritis and numerous other conditions for decades. His body slowed down, and the complications originating from his rheumatic lungs led him to slip away.

Few people realise what rheumatoid arthritis can do to your lungs. They harden; breathing capacity reduces. It is painful and extremely uncomfortable.

This isn't an old person's disease. It can affect children and young people too. For Dominic it began when he was just 30. 

He never complained, though. He still, somehow, had great enthusiasm and tenacity in all areas of his life.

I want to raise awareness of this debilitating disease and support NRAS in providing a voice to patients suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. Their input in reviewing research proposals ensures that the research will have a direct benefit to patients’ lives.

Kilimanjaro is one of the world’s ‘Seven Summits’: the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.  It stands at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level. While you are all enjoying a quiet Christmas and New Year, we will be possibly be experiencing headaches, nosebleeds, nausea and fatigue; not to mention going without a shower. Lovely.

You can read about our forthcoming trip here:

http://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/trek/i/kilimanjaro+lemosho.html

Please give what you can to this important cause in memory of a great man. 

All donations go directly to the charity; our trip is already paid for.

Thank you,

Emma Thompson 

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