Climb 4 alex
Hi guys , to those that don't know me I'm Stuart kavanagh 36 years old from tullamore offaly. Some might know me as the alcoholic mountaineer. I've started hillwalking earlier this year and haven't stopped since. I've decided to strike while the iron is hot and tackle kilimanjaro. It would be a waste not to use this tough adventure for a good cause, I will be sleeping in a tent with out shower facilities for 7 nights along with the altitude are my two main concerns nevermind temperatures as low as -20. while there is so many worthy causes ive chosen to stay local, as i grew up with little Alex's uncle's aunties and father And this is truly a great cause..... So a little bit about alex . Alex Coyne is a 8-year-old boy who from Tullamore and is in 2nd class. In December 2015 Alex was diagnosed with a rare lifelong disease called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH). LCH occurs in patients when the body accumulates too many Langerhans cells. A Langerhans cell is a type of white blood cell that normally helps the body fight infection. In LCH, too many Langerhans cells are produced and then build up in certain parts of the body where they form tumours and damage organs. LCH is classed and treated like a type of rare cancer as cancerous mutations form in the tumours. It is believed to affect less than one in 200,000 children, but any age group can be affected including adults. Alex underwent chemotherapy from January to July of 2016 for tumours in the skull and pelvic bones. Unfortunately, Alex’s remission period only lasted two months as Alex relapsed with two new tumours forming in his skull bones and his pelvic tumour reoccurring. He underwent surgery on his pelvis to remove the tumour and now has a metal plate in his hip. He then began chemotherapy for a second time in a year. Alex is a very positive happy child and tries not to let his illness affect him. He receives treatment in St Johns Ward in Crumlin and is very well looked after there. Here is his journey.. Link to his page https://www.facebook.com/alexcoynelch/
