A Burntwood woman, whose father has epilepsy, is aiming to conquer Africa's highest mountain to raise vital funds for national charity, Epilepsy Action.
Rachael Edwards, 24, will be attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's highest free-standing mountain, over 12 days in January. She will be following in the footsteps of celebrities Cheryl Cole, Gary Barlow and Radio One DJ, Chris Moyles, to climb almost 20,000 ft (6,000 metres). Rachael is launching a campaign to help her reach her fundraising target of £3,500.
Rachael said; “My dad has had epilepsy for over 30 years and has had a brain tumour. He has always wanted to give something back to Epilepsy Action as they have helped him so much over the years. Last year he had an accident and eight tons of steel crushed his legs. He has been such a fighter pulling through these terrible traumas, but he is unable to do this challenge because of the risks involved. I'm determined to do this for him and make him proud.
"This is the biggest thing I've ever done but I know that with help and support, I can do it. It will be an amazing feeling once I'm at the top, knowing that I have raised money to help other people affected by epilepsy. I'm not looking forward to sleeping with bugs or having to camp though – I only ever sleep in nice hotels!"
Rachael hopes to raise £3,500 to help support the 40,000 people with epilepsy in the West Midlands. She has already raised almost £1,500 but is hoping the whole of Staffordshire will get behind her as she takes on this amazing challenge.
To show your support for Rachael, visit www.justgiving.com/rachaeledwards2
Epilepsy Action has a huge variety of fundraising events you can get involved in. These events can be a fun and exciting challenge with the added bonus of making a difference to people living with epilepsy. To find out more go to http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/involved/index.html
The money raised by Rachael will help fund the vital advice and information services provided by Epilepsy Action. Last year, the charity directly helped more than 686,500 people through a range of services. These include its advice and information service, branch network, Epilepsy Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050 and award-winning website, www.epilepsy.org.uk