An intrepid doctor is preparing for a gruelling trek up the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere to raise cash for diabetes charities with the help of a private hospital.<\/p>\n
Consultant Diabetologist\u00a0 Steve Stanaway, 45,\u00a0 is being sponsored by the Spire Yale Hospital in Wrexham where he works in addition to his NHS duties at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.<\/p>\n
Steve, from Tattenhall, in Cheshire, will be heading to Argentina in January 2014 to climb Aconcagua.<\/p>\n
It will be the high point in Steve’s year-long Aim High campaign to help young people with diabetes, because he thinks they get a raw deal.<\/p>\n
Spire Healthcare, which\u00a0 owns the private Spire Yale Hospital in Wrexham and Consulting Rooms in Abergele, are backing the cause with the purchase of a high spec sleeping bag to cope with temperatures as low as -25 Celcius.<\/p>\n
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Andes and the tallest mountain on earth outside of the Himalayas, standing 6,960 metres or 22,837ft high.<\/p>\n
The cash raised by the Aim High Campaign with be split 50\/50 between a ring-fenced fund for local young adults or teenagers who have chronic conditions, and the international charity Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, whose\u00a0 aim is to research for a cure to Type One Diabetes.<\/p>\n
Sue Jones, the Manager of Spire Yale Hospital, was full of admiration for Steve in taking on the huge challenge.<\/p>\n
She said: “It is typical of Steve to literally aim so high because he is passionate about his work, particularly with young adults with diabetes.<\/p>\n
“We wish him all the very best in his attempt to climb Aconcagua and hope his endeavour will help raise a mountain of cash for such a deserving cause.”<\/p>\n
In his job, Steve deals on a daily basis with young people who have diabetes. He\u2019s been shocked by some of the stories he’s heard, and this inspired him to start the Aim High campaign.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cYoung adults with Type One Diabetes get a very poor deal in many respects.<\/p>\n
\u201cIgnorance is often what leads\u00a0 people to give poor assistance to others with diabetes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor examples such as bosses telling workers not to bring their insulin in to work because it upsets the other workers are\u00a0 the kind of thing that I hear all of the time from my young patients and it\u2019s something that needs tackling.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother common one is\u00a0 comments from workmates\u00a0 who suggest to the person with the diabetes that\u00a0 if they ate properly then they wouldn\u2019t get diabetes. This couldn\u2019t be further from the truth with Type One diabetes. It\u2019s an autoimmune condition without any proven cause.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think diabetes is the most intrusive condition that you can have. It\u2019s with you 24 hours a day, every single day.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to think about it with every meal, every time you play sport or exercise\u00a0 and every time you drive. Its an issue for your relationships and your employment prospects.<\/p>\n
“As well as taking the insulin injections 4-5 times per day patients have the blood sugar testing to do several times a day to ensure that they stay safe from both the diabetes but also the medication they take to treat it.<\/p>\n
“All of this is before they have to consider the potential long term complications of diabetes As this condition alone is\u00a0 the most common cause of kidney failure, the blindness, and of\u00a0 non-traumatic amputations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s really pretty awful, and I think the more support we can give people the better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve is tremendously grateful to Spire Healthcare for their contribution to cause.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cSpire Healthcare is sponsoring me for this essential piece of equipment which I\u2019m tremendously pleased about.<\/p>\n
“It was a very kind offer as \u00a0the equipment that you need to go up Aconcagua is not like the stuff you would take for going to the Lake District or Snowdonia and this higher grade equipment costs money. The offer of some sponsorship towards kit from Spire Healthcare is very appreciated.”<\/p>\n
Steve, who will be joined on the expedition by pal Brad Lincoln, from Blackburn, is not underestimating the challenge he faces.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe chance of getting up to the top could be as low as\u00a0 one in four.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis mountain has been a particular ambition of mine for nine years now since I was very lucky to get asked to be the exhibition doctor on Diabetes UK charity walk up Kilimanjaro.<\/p>\n
“While I was an experienced walker and had been to altitude before this was the first time I\u2019d ever done anything quite so long and concentrated. I quite enjoyed it and thought I\u2019d like to do something similar again at some point.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Aconcagua is such a big mountain I thought the fundraising around it\u00a0 deserved a proper campaign so I could use it to raise awareness about an important health issue as well as raise money.<\/p>\n
“I set myself a decent fundraising target of \u00a310,000 somewhat arbitrarily\u00a0 but the campaign has already surpassed this considerably.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact the campaign has been the real surprise. It\u2019s been a real journey in itself.” <\/strong><\/p>\n You can donate by visiting <\/strong>www.virginmoneygiving.com\/SteveStanaway<\/strong><\/a> and follow the Aim High campaign on <\/strong>www.aimhigh7000.wordpress.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n You can also send money to Steve at Spire Yale Hospital, Wrexham Technology Park, Croesnewydd Road, Wrexham, LL13 7YP<\/strong><\/p>\n