Climb Everest for Roddy!

Background:
On 26th June 2022 at Cronins Yard (Mealis, Beaufort, Killarney, Co. Kerry), a group will climb Carrauntoohil, the highest mountain in Ireland, to help raise funds for Roddy Nicholson, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in January 2020.

Roddys fundraiser idea is to have the support of a number of people to climb Carrauntoohil, with their collective climbing efforts exceeding the height of Everest, which stands at a great height of 8,848 meters. Roddy has a beautiful wife and three young children. All money raised will be used to support an educational fund for Roddys children and also the Kerry Hospice, who have been so caring and supportive to Roddy over the last number of months, while he has been in palliative care.

Roddy first noticed his symptoms in June 2019, the month his youngest son Rían was born. January 2020 was the month Roddys life was turned upside down, when he was diagnosed with MND. MND is a Neuro Degenerative Disease which essentially means Roddy central nervous system is unable to send signals to his motor neurones, which are critical to be able to move limbs and control movement. There is no cure for MND. Life expectancy from this diagnosis is typically 3 to 5 years and the disease has already significantly impacted Roddys movement, his voice, it has stripped him of the independence to drive, to work and earlier this year it removed his ability to live in his home surrounded by his loving family. Roddy now requires 24-hour palliative care & support with most of daily tasks that the rest of us take for granted.

Roddy knows that the time he has left is limited and wants to spend this time to focus on the people that are most important to him, and spending time on things that are most important to him. This includes dramatically changing his financial plans, to provide for the needs of his condition as well as the needs of his family, while he is alive and after he is gone. Time is of the essence as the disease takes a greater hold. Roddy remains positive, supported of course by his wonderful family, his friends and the outstanding care of Kerry hospice. This fundraiser is a focus point for the next few months and he will be looking forward to catching up with some of his good friends on the day and watching them sweat and crawl their way up to the top of Carrauntoohil!!!

 

Climb Details:

 

- Our climbing volunteers will be the heartbeat of this fundraiser. We kindly encourage you to get onboard, if the date suits and you feel up for the challenge!

- Volunteers to donate 50 euro to GoFundMe will be eligible to climb.
- Scroll down to Contact Organiser and leave a message to confirm you are climbing. 

- Specific climb details to be provided separately to climbers.

- Closing date for entry is 27th May

- There will be a BBQ at the end for all climbers, kindly sponsored by Castle Meats butchers in Casleisland, on what promises to be a great day

 

For anyone not able to get to Carrauntoohil on the day, they can do their own version of the climb.

 

This GoFundMe is open to everyone to donate. Please share this GoFundMe link with family & friends to build momentum and help Roddy reach his target.

 

Thank you for reading, and thank you for any donation. All funds received, no matter how small, will make a big difference to Roddy, his family and his carers, as he battles this "truly hateful and horrible disease”.