I climbed a mountain to reach my angel soulmate
I climbed Everest to be closer to my girl in Heaven
Hayden Davis, 51, from Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Driving home from work one afternoon, my partner $OLVRQ¶V QXPEHU ÀDVKHG XS RQ P\ SKRQH , SXOOHG RYHU to answer her call /LWWOH GLG , NQRZ that my entire life WRXOG change in that moment.
Μ+D\GHQ ,¶YH JRW EUHDVW FDQFHU ¶ Alison, 48 VWDPPHUHG Μ:KDW"¶ , JDVSHG
‘Don’t worry, we’ll get through LW ¶ VKH UHSOLHG
That was typical Alison, always UHDG\ WR IDFH SUREOHPV KHDG RQ
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In 2007, when we were both VLQJOH DJDLQ ZH¶G XQH[SHFWHGO\ EXPSHG LQWR HDFK RWKHU
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It was while our house sale was JRLQJ WKURXJK WKDW $OLVRQ KDG IRXQG D OXPS LQ KHU OHIW EUHDVW
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Three weeks later, we were sat in Belfast City Hospital’s Cancer Centre, waiting for the results.
Bad news
μ,¶p VR VRUU\ ¶ VDLG the oncologist. ‘The
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Alison’s liver. I’m
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Everything
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, ZDV VR SURXG RI KHU DOZD\V VPLOLQJ DQG UDGLDQW HYHQ DV VKH VDW in her hospital bay with WKH GUXJV GULSSLQJ
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into her arm.
‘I may have cancer but cancer hasn’t got me,’ she WROG PH GH¿DQWO\
6KH ZDV DOZD\V VR EXV\ DQG RXWJRLQJ VSHQGLQJ HYHU\ VSDUH minute turning our new home into a little love nest. It was impossible to EHOLHYH VKH ZDV G\LQJ
On 25 July, ZH FHOHEUDWHG KHU WK ELUWKGD\ ZLWK a barbecue in our EDFN JDUGHQ %\ QRZ VKH¶G OLYHG ZLWK cancer for two years.
+HU IDFH FUXPSOHG with happiness as I VWURGH RXW RI WKH house carrying her present, a Cockapoo SXSS\ 6KH¶G ZDQWHG D GRJ for years.
‘We’ll call him Benson!’ she beameg KDSSLO\
But just a couple of months later VKH ZDV DGPLWWHG WR KRVSLWDO WR KDYH WKH ÀXLG LQ KHU DEGRPHQ GUDLQHG 6KH ZHQW GRZQKLOO UHDOO\ quickly from there.
,Q WKH HDUO\ KRXUV RI 6XQGD\ morning, 24 September, 2017, $OLVRQ VOLSSHG DZD\ LQ KHU VOHHS peacefully in my arms.
Tough times
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%XW WKH IUHVK DLU KHOSHG WR FOHDU P\ KHDG DQG DV ZH VWURGH along, I spoke to Alison, WHOOLQJ KHU DERXW P\ GD\
:H VWDUWHG KLNLQJ LQ WKH KLOOV QHDU P\ KRPH DQG DV ZH FOLPEHG , UHDOLVHG something. The higher we got, the closer I was feeling to Heaven. Closer to my girl.
7KH ¿UVW WLPH ZH VWRRG DW WKH WRS RI 6OLHYH 'RQDUG 1RUWKHUQ ,UHODQG¶V KLJKHVW SHDN , IHOW WKH KDLUV RQ WKH EDFN RI P\ QHFN VWDQG XS DV %HQVRQ DQG , ZDWFKHG WKH VXQ EUHDN WKURXJK WKH FORXGV Alison was with me, I knew. Watching over us from above. , IRXQG D VWRQH RQ KHU IDYRXULWH EHDFK VWDUWHG FDUU\LQJ LW ZLWK PH on my hikes. It felt like I was
She faced the gruelling treatment so bravely
bringing her with me.
‘You need a project,’ said my sister Allyson Hines, 54. ‘How about climbing Mount Everest?’ ‘You what?’ I laughed. Before Alison’s death, I hadn’t been Mr Fitness. Alison had even made a few jokes about my tummy. But my sister was determined. She found out we couldn’t get to the summit of Mouth Everest, as that would require specialist training and equipment. It’s extremely dangerous even for TXDOL¿HG DQG H[SHULHQFHG FOLPEHUV
But we could trek to Base Camp – a feat of endurance in itself.
It sounded crazy. But suddenly I realised something…
At a whopping 5,334m above sea level, standing on Mount Everest was the closest to Heaven I’d ever be able to get, while still remaining here on Earth.
The closest I could get to Alison. That made up my mind for me. I had to go.
We spent a year training and preparing, going out for long hikes with Benson, who became my wee angel.
He even slept in my bed at night, ¿OOLQJ WKH VLGH OHIW empty by Alison.
Gruelling climb
In November 2018, Allyson and I set out for the Himalayas.
:H ÀHZ WR .DWKPDQGX in Nepal, then on to a town called Lukla. From there, getting to Base Camp was a 12-day tough hike on a 120-kilometre round trip.
Hike to Heaven
It was the hardest thing I’d ever done. My lungs ached and my muscles burned as we got higher and higher.
‘Look at me now,’ I muttered breathlessly to Alison as I climbed. ‘No beer belly now, eh?’
Whenever I struggled or felt like I couldn’t go on anymore, I felt her at my side, willing me on. Allyson fell ill with a chest infection – a common problem for hikers because of the thin air – and had to be airlifted back down the mountain for treatment.
‘Shall I come with you?’ I asked her, worried.
‘No way,’ she answered. ‘You’ve got to get to the top. Say hello to Alison for me when you get there.’
6KH WXJJHG R KHU DQJHO ULQJ DQG gave it to me, telling me to take it as a gift for Alison.
On Monday, November 26th
, ¿QDOO\ UHDFKHG %DVH &DPS a snowy village from which experienced mountaineers set out to reach the summit. It can only be reached on foot or by helicopter.
There was a party atmosphere among my group, but I stole away for a quiet moment with my girl.
‘I made it,’ I whispered. ‘I’m here, Alison. I did everything I could to reach you. I love you.’
I laid her stone down on an icy rock, along with my sister’s ring.
$V WKH VXQ VSDUNOHG R WKH VQRZ I could feel my girl with me.
My climb raised nearly £12,500 for the Friends of the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital.
It was the perfect tribute to the woman who always made me feel on top of the world.
I could feel her by my side as I climbed
To make a donation to Hayden’s fund, visit: justgiving.com/ fundraising/hayden-everestbc