Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Everest charity climb
‘I just think this is something extraordinary and fantastic’
Maja Gach, 36, who works at Dundee and Angus College, is climbing Mount Everest in an effort to raise funds for her friend Daniel Radke’s daughter Jessica.
Nine-year-old Jessica, from Dundee, has cerebral palsy and complex epilepsy.
Speaking from Nepal, Maja said that the ascent was going well but had started to become difficult around 4,500ft.
She said: “Jessica requires 24-hour care.
“She is unable to sit or walk and depends on equipment and support to do even the most basic of things.
“The money raised will help Jessica in many ways.
“She will be able to access vital thera- pies to help her progress through life.”
Maja said she had wanted to make the trip for a long time but it had almost not happened after a friend pulled out.
She added: “My friend and I were talking several years ago about climbing Everest and we decided we wanted to do it before we were 40.
“We both love hillwalking and I just think it is something extraordinary and absolutely fantastic to do.
“Then unfortunately my friend had to give up and I was left by myself.
“However, I never thought about giving up, even for a minute.
“I wanted to raise money for charity, and decided that the proceeds should go to help Jessica.”
The Everest base camp trek on the south side is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas.
South base camp in Nepal is at an altitude of 17,598ft.
People who want to support Maja in her fundraising drive can visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/maja-gach?
A DUNDEE lecturer is tackling the world’s highest peak in a bid to raise money for a disabled local girl.