On the 23rd of March 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, placed the country into a national lockdown in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, at this time my eldest son Jack was approaching his 14th Birthday and was in year 9 at secondary school.

The closure of school and the isolation of being unable to socialise with his friends and peer group significantly affected his mental health and despite both his brother and Mum being at home with him during this time, he began to drift away from the bright happy outgoing and engaged young person we all knew and loved and began to slide into depression, losing all interest in education and withdrawing into himself over the course of the lockdown year.

When he returned to school in 2021 he was a different person and struggled to re-engage with education and began to experiment with drugs and alcohol, which increased in frequency/use when in February 2023 his Mum at age 43 was diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

Upon leaving school in 2023 Jack did try to pursue further studies at the local college as despite his struggles he still managed to attain decent grades in several GCSE’s, but it was plain to see that he was adrift and lost and could not find purpose so in 2024 he called it a day.

Since that time Jack has been trying hard to rebuild his life constructively, he is fighting to change himself, he is attending counselling and is slowly but surely turning his life in a positive direction.

The one constant that has lifted jack out of his low mood and has never left him is his love of the great outdoors, of wild spaces and nature, so I was delighted when in January 2025 he began organising a trip to Nepal to trek to Everest base camp.

Jack has (with help from family) organised his flights, a guide, lodgings and food and leaves the UK from Manchester airport on the 14th April 2025, his plan is over 14 days to make the 130km (80 mile) round trip without porters, carrying all his expedition gear on his back, trekking from Lukla (2860m) to Everest base camp (5,364m) reaching base camp in or around the 25th April 2025.

For us as a family, this is a really beautiful thing to witness as the excitement and focus we have witnessed over the past several weeks in Jack remind us all of the Boy that used to be, and we are ever hopeful that this is a positive sign of the Man he is growing into.

Jack has self-funded this trip (with some help from family), but has asked me to tell his story and share it with you in the hopes it will raise money for ELHT & Me his local Hospital Charity.

The NHS was instrumental in the diagnosis, treatment and aftercare his mum received during 2023/24 and beyond (Mum is currently cancer free following two rounds of surgery, radiotherapy and medication), and has supported Jack in his recovery alongside other agencies.

Jack and his Family thank you all for your generous donations 100% of which will be donated via Just giving to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT&ME)

ELHT&Me, the official charity of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT),

We are raising money for new equipment, improving facilities and enhancing the patient environment at ELHT’s two acute (Royal Blackburn and Burnley General) and three community hospitals (Accrington Victoria, Clitheroe, and Pendle).