Story

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Reaching Africa's Highest Peak
I am raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in January 2015. At 5,895M / 19,341ft high there is approximately 50% less oxygen available at Kilimanjaro's summit than you'd find at sea level. I’m quite sure it will be the most challenging thing I’m attempting to do, to date.

You can follow my training experiences, via my facepook page, which I post as public.  Training sessions are marked as ‘TS MK (No)’ = Training Session, Mount Kill, number 5.

Why am I climbing Kili?

Alzheimer’s claimed my Nan in June 2012.  I had not heard of this disease before, so had to do a lot of research to understand what it was, what it did, if there was a cure.  To date, there is no cure.  My Nan was not being correctly diagnosed, so my mum had to keep fighting the system to ensure my nan got the correct diagnosis to get the correct care.  We were lucky that my mum has 20+ years’ experience in the health system, so knew how to get in the right direction.  However, there are many like me that had no idea.  So this is why, I am wanting to raise as much money as possible for research to take place to find a cure, help those who have the disease and support & educate family members on understanding / caring for them.

What is Alzheimer’s?

It’s a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People with Alzheimer's also have a shortage of some important chemicals in their brain. These chemicals are involved with the transmission of messages within the brain.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that gradually, over time, more parts of the brain are damaged. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe.

Symptoms

People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words. As the disease progresses, they may:
•become confused and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events
•experience mood swings, feel sad or angry, or scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss
•become more withdrawn, due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems
•have difficulty carrying out everyday activities - they may get muddled checking their change at the shops or become unsure how to work the TV remote.

As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's will need more support from those who care for them. Eventually, they will need help with all their daily activities.

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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!!