© Everest in the Alps
Everest in The Alps Charity Challenge
A personal challenge to raise money & awareness of paediatric brain tumours
One man's own personal 'Everest', a challenge of physical and mental strength to raise not only much needed funds for The Brain Tumour Charity and Cancer Research UK, but also to raise awareness of the thousands of children affected by brain tumours in the UK.
In late March 2015, a team of 14 people will ski-tour the height of Mount Everest (8848m) over four days in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.
This four-day ski-touring event is the first of its kind and is being run by high altitude adventure company Secret Compass, known for its world-first expeditions and adventure travel to the world’s wildest places and most extreme environments.
The inspiration for the Everest in the Alps challenge came from Hampshire-based Rob Ritchie, whose youngest son Toby is battling a brain tumour. Ritchie hopes that the team’s efforts will help highlight the underfunding of brain tumour research – which receives less than 2% of the UK’s £500m+ annual spend on cancer research.
18 months ago, Rob's six year old son, Toby, was diagnosed with a brain stem tumour. Situated at the top of his spine this is a difficult area to operate on and one that has significant risks attached to surgery. Toby is currently going through his first 18 months of chemotherapy in an attempt to slow the tumour's growth. There is no doubt that this young boy's future will include more radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
"He had some of the tumour removed and had the inside of his skull scraped to give his brain more room. He was given, and still uses, a ventilator and oxygen to regulate his breathing at night. He started chemotherapy suffering the inevitable confusion and nausea. So far he’s spent 75 nights in hospital.
Toby is currently on an 18-month course of chemotherapy and we take each day as it comes. He is an incredibly brave boy, doing all that is asked of him with little complaint." - Robert Ritchie
It is hard to imagine how powerless you can feel when your child is suffering, but in Robert's case he choose to do what he could to help, and with a determined and supportive team by his side he will take on the Everest in the Alps Challenge in March 2015.
The Everest in the Alps team has initiated a specific research programme into the tumour type that Toby and thousands of other children suffer from in the UK. The project is a collaboration between The Brain Tumour Charity and Cancer Research UK, with all funds raised ring-fenced for this specific project in the Everest Innovation Fund.
The challenge itself in March 2015 will involve Robert and his team taking on 13 ski touring ascents over 4 days in the Verbier Region of the Swiss Alps in order to climb a total of 8848 metres, the height of Mount Everest.
To find out more about the challenge, see here. Or to make a donation then please visit the website.
