On February 16, Medfielder Liz Sandeman and her daughter, Sophie, will fly to Tanzania and climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. It stands at 19,341 feet or 5,895 meters. Liz and Sophie are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise awareness of the importance of registering as an organ, cornea and tissue donor. The two want to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and hold the Donate Life flag proudly.
All money raised will go to New England Donor Services to raise awareness for organ, tissue and cornea donation.
Liz's sister, T, died waiting for a lung transplant at the age of 54. T remains Liz's inspiration to do things that, sadly, she won't get the chance to do.
“I will be wearing her photo on the climb and when it gets tough; I will think of everything she went though just trying to breathe, just waiting for the call that never came,” commented Sandeman. “I don't want any more families to lose loved ones simply because there are not enough registered donors. Only two percent of everyone who dies does so in circumstances that would allow them to be a potential donor, whether they were registered or not. With such a small percentage of available organs, it is so important to get everyone registered. Most people would accept a life saving organ for themselves or their loved one, yet not all are registered.”
Liz and Sophie’s climb will aim to address that lack of awareness.
“I want to raise awareness to get people talking and thinking about registering,” said Sandeman. “To get people to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Every dollar raised will go to New England Donor Serivices, where I volunteer, to help to raise awareness for organ, cornea and tissue donation.
“At 19,341 feet, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro won't be easy, and altitude sickness is something we can't train for - but we are going to take it slow and do our best.”
Sophie and Liz will aim to unfurl their Donate Life upon scaling the mountain, and they have added a wrinkle as a nod to the generous members of the community who support their endeavor: all donors will have their names written on the flag. A photo will then be taken on the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Members of the community who would like to donate to Liz and Sophie’s efforts may visit http://tiny.cc/medclimb. Alternatively, US checks can be made out to New England Donor Services with “Liz & Sophie's climb” on the memo line. They can be given to Liz, Sophie, or be mailed directly to Laura Watson, New England Donor Services, 60 First Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451. Those who would rather give cash may send an email to lizsandeman@gmail.com.
