Dad sparks mountain challenge to Kilimanjaro

Dad sparks mountain challenge to Kilimanjaro

28 September 2016

IT’s the mountain climbing challenge that brings many to their knees as they attempt the elusive summit.

But Crossgar woman Stacey Murtagh and her brother Jonathan wanted no ordinary fundraising challenge in memory of their beloved dad, John, and have made it to the top of the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro in honour of his incredible fight for life. 

John was diagnosed in 2011 with fourth stage oesophageal cancer and given just six months to live. But with chemotherapy and a determination to fight the disease, he lived for another two-and-a-half years before passing away in March 2014.

A dedicated family man and joiner by trade, he was just 53 years-old when he died. As well as leaving his two children, he also left behind wife and childhood sweetheart Colette, who he met when he was just 13.

Stacey (33), currently working in Dubai as a marketing manager, said that Marie Curie nurses had spent just a few days with her dad towards the end of his life but that the impact was so huge she wanted to pay something back. It was a complete caring experience that she described as “beautiful”.

“They not only provided care and comfort for my dad but they also provided it for us as a family, I don’t know what we would have done without them,” she said.

So as well as recognising their dad’s fight, the family decided that raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care would be the focus of their fundraiser.

At 5895 metres Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. 

The dizzying altitude sickness it can induce has been known to send celebrity trekkers packing. The pain of simply breathing on mountain slopes where oxygen levels are half those at sea level can be enough to scupper eager climbers.

Of Stacey and Jonathan’s group of 14 friends attempting the five-day challenge, ten made it to the very top. Despite training four or five days a week in gym before taking up the challenge, Stacey said it was even harder than she had anticipated.

“It is so hard to describe,” she said. “The first few days were fun, tough and challenging, but the summit night was by far hardest. Every single one of us struggled.

“Four didn’t make it due to altitude sickness. It didn’t affect me. I had taken medication for the sickness, though it could just have been the placebo effect.

“At times the crew leader would keep checking us. At one stage I had a headache and he just told me to drink a lot more water as that was dehydration.

“It was freezing cold. You were just so exposed and some were sick on the way up. Everybody did incredibly well, it was amazing but so hard.

“We were mentally prepared for it and definitely because we were fundraising with dad in our sights it kept me going.”

The final stretch of the summit is attempted at midnight with torches, with another eight-and-a-half hours to the very top as the sun is rising.

“When I got to the top I was crying my eyes out, everybody was crying,” said Stacey. “Because of dad as well, that was the emotional part for us.

“It still feels like a dream. Once you get to the top you can only stay for 15 minutes because of the altitude, you just have to get down as quickly as possible for oxygen.”

Describing what she could see from the highest point of the African continent, Stacey said: “You just look over the skyline and see clouds. You are only there with the clouds. It was just an incredible feeling.

“I have to say our guides here were so amazing. They carried our bags and helped bring us to safety.

“We are delighted to have met 169% of our funding target. It was originally £4,500, now it is over £7,600.”

“Because of our previous article in the Down Recorder mum became a local celebrity,” Stacey added. “Everyone kept stopping her and giving donations for us to post on the page. The support has been incredible and I would like to thank everyone in the community who helped.”

The Just Giving donation page for Stacey and Jonathan’s group ‘Summits Wrong With Us’ can be found at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/summitswrongwithus