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Karl makes it to the summit
He made it! Karl Donnan reaches the top of Mont Blanc and raises £17,000 for The National Society for Epilepsy.
Karl Donnan and his friend Richard Chapman, set out on their challenge to reach the top of Mont Blanc and raise money for research into epilepsy on Friday 12th June. They made it to the summit at midday on Saturday.
Karl said: ”The weather cleared for that day only so we were very lucky and the climb was long and hard but the feeling on the summit was amazing. “
His inspiration for the climb is his son Ross who was born with a rare and as yet undiagnosed form of epilepsy in May last year.
Karl and his friend from West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire, Richard Chapman, whose own son Archie died of a brain tumour when he was 14 months old, had planned their original fundraising trek to the top of Western Europe’s tallest mountain for the summer of 2008.
But Karl, who lives in Great Bookham and works for Unilever in Leatherhead had to postpone the climb to 2009 so he could concentrate on looking after Ross.
He said “I am amazed how little is known about the human brain, especially the infant brain, and there are many different types of epilepsy for which no treatment has yet been found. The NSE carries out research into the condition and helps people with epilepsy and their families; I hope its research work may provide a breakthrough for Ross.”
Sponsorship money is still rolling in and anyone still wishing to make a donation can visit www.justgiving.com/archiesmountain
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