Washington woman's Everest trek to raise money in memory of much loved friend who passed away
Karen Joynson raised money for two charities close to her heart.
A Washington woman whose friend died from a neurodegenerative disease has returned from the Himalaya and the world’s highest mountain, Mt Everest, after raising money for the charity which supports research into Multiple system atrophy (MSA).
MSA is a degenerative condition for which there is no cure which causes nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to gradually lose function and die
Karen Joynson trekked to the Roof of the world to raise an impressive £552 for the Multiple System Atrophy Trust, in memory of her friend, Paul Ord.
The 53-year-old completed the gruelling 12 day trek to Everest base camp to also raise money for the Chester-le-Street based mental health charity, If U Care Share, who supported her with her own wellbeing after the sudden loss of her dad, Eddie, 10 years ago.
She said: “The MSA Trust is a charity which is really close to my heart after I lost my close friend, Paul Ord, to the condition. There is no cure for the disease and he was just 50 when he died.”
Karen also raised an £660 for If U Care Share which provides wellbeing support to families who have experienced a sudden loss.
Karen, who has served in the army, said: “My dad, Eddie, died suddenly. He was 67 at the time and it was totally unexpected. If U Care Share were absolutely brilliant and provided me with counselling to cope with the loss of my dad. I just wanted to give something back to say thank you for their support. I also climbed Kilimanjaro three years ago to raise money for them.”
To reach base camp, Karen had to overcome the affects of altitude as she trekked to 5,364 meters, higher than Western Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc.
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Karen added: “The expedition was very tough and we covered 75,000 steps. Fortunately we had really good weather and the trek is staggered over nine days up, to allow you to acclimatise, and then it’s three days back down.
“We stayed in tea houses and the scenery was fantastic, as were the Nepalese people.”
You can still donate to both causes via the links on the If U Care Share website and the MSA Trust website.