There isn’t a mountain high enough to stand in the way of five friends doing their bit to make life better for a severely disabled teenager.
Clint Tuckey, Philip Easby and Andy Day from Tillingham, along with Neil Yeaman from Southminster, and Lee Carey from Colchester, are taking on the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for Harry Court.
Harry, 16, from Southminster, suffers from a rare neurological disorder – Lennox Gaustaut syndrome – which causes him to have life-threatening seizures.
His family and friends have been on a fundraising mission since 2007 to raise £30,000 so essential adaptations can be made to their home in Queenborough Road to make life easier around the house.
So far they have raised £20,000 and building work is ongoing, but a further injection of cash is needed to get everything finished.
Clint, 46, knows Harry through Andy’s wife, Julie, who is Harry’s aunt. It was at a dinner party last year that it was decided they would take on the challenge and donate half of the cash to Harry’s Fund.
The other half will go to Children with Leukaemia.
Clint said: “We’ve been trying to do as much training as we can. It’s not going to be easy but hopefully it will be a laugh as well.
“Only one of us has done it before but we’re looking forward to it and everyone’s feeling positive, we just need to maintain that on the day.”
The men set off on Friday and aim to complete the three peaks – Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Wales – within 24 hours starting at 5pm on Saturday.
In total they will climb more than 10,000ft, covering 450 miles between the mountains.
Harry’s mum, Vicky Down, has not had time to organise fundraising events recently because her son’s health is so up and down but she is grateful people still want to help.
She said: “They must be mad but it’s brilliant they’re doing it.
“The house is like a building site as we’ve had to do things in dribs and drabs but hopefully we’ll raise enough money to finish it.”
If you would like to sponsor the group call Julie Day on 01621 779811.
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