Higham Ferrers woman set for Everest trek

Amy (right) with sister Sally. NNL-180110-163519005

Amy Kelly and her sister Sally Vaughan, who lives in London, have been driven to raise funds and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Their mother, Heide, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2014 at the age of just 66.

Heide’s dementia may have robbed her of her mobility and speech, but her kind soul remains and she still has a smile for everyone.

Moments spent with her are now precious and the sisters are raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society to try to change things for the better.

Amy said: “Our aim is to raise awareness about dementia.

“It affects one in three people and it is currently the UK’s biggest killer.

“It is degenerative, and there is currently no cure.

“The impact on those directly affected is immense.”

The pair have set themselves a challenge of raising £10,000 by the end of 2018 and have taken part in various events to reach this target including the Virgin Money London Marathon, Prudential RideLondon 100, Ironman UK and Swim Serpentine.

With the biggest challenge yet to come, Amy and Sally will aim to trek to Everest Base Camp this month.

Starting in Lukla, they will follow in the footsteps of the Sherpa on an epic high altitude trek crossing numerous rivers, before reaching the highest point at Kalapathar (5,545m).

Mount Everest stands at a formidable 8,848m in the Nepalese Himalayas.

Ahead of their trek the sisters, as well as brother Simon Vaughan, are hosting a quiz night, buffet and disco with a raffle.

The quiz night takes place at The Sharnbrook Hotel and Vesuvio in Sharnbrook from 7pm until late on Saturday, October 6.

Tickets cost £15 a head with teams of between six and eight people.

For further details contact Amy on [email protected].

To donate to the sisters’ fundraising page, click here.

The page said: “Mum instilled in us to never give up and be the best we can be.

“Mum’s always believed in us, we hope you will too - we’ll give it all we’ve got and more.

“We hope you too will dig deep into your pockets and help us smash that £10,000 target!”