There definitely ain’t no mountain high enough for an intrepid group of mums of children with life-shortening conditions who are set to tackle the Welsh Three Peaks for Tŷ Hafan Children’s Hospice.
The eight mothers, all of whom have a child cared for by the iconic children’s hospice, are aiming to conquer Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen-y-Fan on Sunday, May 7 despite most of them being self-confessed newbies to mountain walking.
What they are old hands at, though, is dealing with the emotional, physical, and practical mountains to climb that come thick and fast when looking after a child with a life-shortening condition.
Bridget Harpwood, whose 12-year-old daughter Elain was born with a complex heart condition and has been supported by Tŷ Hafan since she was a baby, came up with the Mums v Mountains challenge.
Bridget, mum and stepmum of five, from Aberystwyth, said: “We have sat back for a while and watched the Tŷ Hafan Dads team do physical challenges over the past few years, and we now feel like it’s our turn! Mums often naturally fall into the primary carer role when they have a child with additional health needs. This means that sometimes we struggle to prioritise and find time for ourselves.
“This challenge will be an amazing opportunity to both raise money and for Tŷ Hafan Mums to experience something they may never get the chance to do otherwise.
“I think parent carers are often stereotyped as people whose lives are dominated by their caring responsibilities. Quite often our situations end up being dictated to us by our children and we may not get the opportunities or freedom to do the things that we would like to do.
“This challenge will push many of us outside our comfort zones and we will all have to be super-determined and organised with our preparation and training. I’d like to think that by doing this challenge we can help redefine how people perceive palliative care and those families who experience living with a life-limiting prognosis.”
The Mums vs Mountains live in various locations across South and West Wales including Cardiff (Lynsey Harris), Barry (Stacey Carr), Penarth (Helen Jenkins), Llantwit Major (Alex Forbes), Bridgend (Marie Jones and Kat Brown) and Chepstow (Martina Harding) and have become friends thanks to Tŷ Hafan. Fellow Tŷ Hafan mum Emma Humphrey, of Caerphilly, is also supporting the challenge, and will join her eight friends as they tackle the final mountain, Pen y Fan, together.
They are aiming to raise in excess of £20,000 for the hospice, which they describe as their “absolute lifeline”.
Paula Langston, Head of Community Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan, said: “I am totally in awe of what every mother who is looking after a child with a life-shortening condition deals with every day as it is one of the hardest things a person can do.
“The fact that these eight mums have decided to push themselves even further and tackle the three highest peaks in Wales in just 24 hours and all to raise vital funds for Tŷ Hafan is amazing.
“It costs £5.2m a year to provide our care and support services, both in our hospice based in Sully, and in homes and communities across South, West and East Wales and more than 80% comes from the fantastic generosity of the public.
“I hope that as many people as possible will get right behind our Mums v Mountains and help them to realise their ambition and raise as much money as possible for Tŷ Hafan. Join me in wishing them luck on this incredible adventure.”
The women have also gained the backing of Convey Law and the Conveyancing Foundation, lead sponsors for their epic challenge. In the past ten years Convey Law has raised close to £400,000 for Tŷ Hafan.
Lloyd Davies, managing director of Convey Law and chairman of the Conveyancing Foundation said: “Convey Law and the Conveyancing Foundation are delighted to be supporting these Tŷ Hafan mums on their Mums v Mountains Three Peaks Challenge in May.
“These incredible ladies have our full support in what will be a difficult but rewarding challenge. We wish the mums every success in their fundraising endeavours and we would encourage everyone – individuals and corporate sponsors – to please support them fully.”
To read each mum’s individual story and to support the Mums v Mountains for Tŷ Hafan go to their Mums v Mountains JustGiving page here.
