A Royal Navy Commander from Wiltshire plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next month to mark World Cancer Day and raise funds for charity.
Shaun Lister, from Corsham, and his lifelong friend Lee Penrose will begin the trek on Saturday, February 3 up the dormant volcano located in Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania.
The world’s highest single free-standing mountain stands 5,895 metres above sea level and about 4,900 metres above its plateau base.
Shaun’s friend Lee was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia - a slow growing blood cancer - in 2011 when he was aged 31, which is especially young for this disease.
Lee was admitted to world-renowned hospital, The Christie in Manchester and had 12 months of intense chemotherapy, under the care of Dr Adrian Bloor and the team in the haematology unit.
Lee’s wife, Steph, and their young daughters Mary and Abi were ever-present at his side throughout the process.
As a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the hospital - once Lee recovered from the treatment - he and Steph decided to embark upon a fundraising event for The Christie Charity by canoeing the length of the Caledonian Canal, which is 60 miles (100km) long.
That was in 2013 and since then Lee has been closely monitored at The Christie every six months.
He remained in good health until the disease returned in late 2021 when it was more aggressive and needed specialist treatment in the Palatine Ward which is funded by the Christie Charity.
He spent three months in an isolation room due to his poor immune system and prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic at the time.
This meant he was unable to see his wife and daughters very much and the only way was for them to stand in the car park and wave through the window!
Lee’s most recent bout of treatment is now coming to an end, and he is back fighting fit for the moment, so he wanted to do something to repay everything that The Christie has given him and his family.
Lee asked his oldest schoolfriend Shaun Lister if he fancied joining him on a fundraising challenge. Together, they have decided to head to Tanzania to scale the 5,895m peak of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Lee and Shaun are both 45-years-old and grew up in Burnley but now Shaun lives in Corsham and is a Royal Navy Commander.
Lee explained: “It’s going to be hard, but worth it and will feel extra special knowing that we have raised some well-deserved monies for The Christie Charity.
“Dr Bloor has been the foundation of our care at the hospital. His reassuring manner combined with a super intelligent yet caring approach to my treatment has always made us feel like we are in the best hands possible.
“Having interacted with the hospital for over 12 years now, I can honestly say that the dedicated, caring and sometimes fun teams across all departments work miracles on a daily basis.
“Each day I feel grateful for the years I’ve had watching my daughters Mary and Abi - who are now 18 and 17 - grow to young adulthood as they now head off on their adventures travelling around the world and to university.”
On their way to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the pair will celebrate World Cancer Day on Sunday, February 4.
So far, the pair have raised £1,842 towards their £2,000 target. To donate, go to www.justgiving.com/page/ltdk-kili
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