A local Westbury man has climbed the highest mountain in the UK in aid of the charity that has supported his wife since her diagnosis with a rare disease.
Mike Beaven scaled Ben Nevis for The Pituitary Foundation on Sunday 11th June.
Mike, who is a Trustee at the charity said, “Like most of the population I had no idea what a pituitary condition was. That was until my wife Teresa was diagnosed. Pituitary conditions are under diagnosed and people living with these issues often face a daily nightmare. Conditions include vague symptoms like fatigue, thirst and weight gain – but they mask serious and life threatening problems.
“The Pituitary Foundation has been a rock to us as a family since Teresa was diagnosed as they offer so many vital free services such as a telephone support helpline, endocrine nurse specialist helpline, information booklets and local support groups. When we needed help and support it was the charity that provided this. Climbing Ben Nevis was my way of saying thank you.
“The conditions on the day were absolutely atrocious. We had gale-force winds, heavy rain, sleet, hail and even snow at the summit and it was a very tough challenge. I was joined by 18 fellow walkers, all raising funds for The Pituitary Foundation and it was definitely worthwhile, despite the horrendous conditions.
“I managed to raise over £1,000 and I would like to thank everyone who kindly sponsored me. Collectively our group raised over £7,000, which will make a tremendous difference to such a small charity.”
Jay Sheppard, senior fundraising manager for The Pituitary Foundation, said, “I would like to thank Mike for joining us on this challenge. We really appreciate the support. The conditions, as Mike says, were quite frankly horrendous. We faced heavy rain at the start and severe blizzard-like conditions as we approached the summit. Mike, and indeed all of our walkers, deserve a great deal of credit for completing this challenge.
“As a small charity absolutely every penny raised from this challenge will make a vital difference to our work and we cannot thank Mike enough.
“Most people don’t know what the pituitary is. It is a small gland near your brain, about the size of a pea, and it controls several of the other hormone glands in your body. When something goes wrong with your gland, most commonly a growth, it can have major consequences, often life threatening.”
There are estimated to be 80,000 people in the UK affected by a pituitary condition. Because the symptoms of pituitary disorders are often general, such as headaches, fatigue, weight gain and vision problems for example, it can take years for someone to be diagnosed in the first place. For details, visit www.pituitary.org.uk or call the helpline on 0117 3701320.
If you would like to sponsor Mike for taking on this challenge please visit www.justgiving.com/mikebennevis
