Mountain climb raises £3,000

Written by Sam Wilson, October 22, 2024

Aisling was inspired to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise £3,000 for the Haemophilia Society (THS) as thanks for the support we’ve given her family.

It took Aisling and her partner Sam six days to climb 5,895 metres to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro at sunrise. The final day of their trek was particularly gruelling, setting off at midnight in the pitch black and following steep rocky goat tracks in freezing temperatures, all at a very slow pace because of the high altitude. But reaching the top made it all worthwhile.

‘It was amazing,’ Aisling said. ‘I have never seen a view like it. There are glaciers either side of you and you walk right around the volcano’s crater. I was in awe of where we were.’

THS has been part of her family’s life for many decades. Members of her family have haemophilia A and were impacted by the contaminated blood scandal. Aisling is a carrier of the gene and has recently been diagnosed as having low factor VIII levels.

Aisling said: ‘I’ve seen the horrific impact haemophilia and contaminated blood has had on so many people and have appreciated the support that the Haemophilia Society has always provided.  My family and so many others have leaned on THS for many years and I have personally found the information that the charity produces really helpful.’

It is thanks to one of our publications that Aisling had a breakthrough with her own bleeding disorder care, having battled for years to get doctors to address symptoms such as frequent bruising and heavy periods.

When Aisling read our article about women and bleeding disorders, she could see that her symptoms were a result of her family’s history of haemophilia.

She said: ‘Reading the article, I ticked every box. I took it with me to my doctors and demanded they take me seriously. I’ve now been referred to a haematologist and tests show I’ve got low factor VIII levels.’

Aisling hopes that the money she’s raised will help to ensure that other people, women in particular, don’t have to wait so long for diagnosis.

She said: ‘I’m 33 and it’s taken until this year to get my condition investigated, despite numerous drips to my doctor. It’s so important that people have the information they need to be able to go to their GP and be taken seriously. If any of the money I’ve raised can help with that education, then I’ll be very happy.’