Eastbourne man climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for charity that saved his daughter’s life
and live on Freeview channel 276
Shahram Kashani, a consultant eye surgeon, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania last month (February 11-17). He raised over £11,000 for Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance (KSS).
In May 2015, Shahram Kashani’s seven-year-old daughter, Ayla, fell from a climbing frame. Paramedics attending the incident knew she needed specialist treatment quickly. A doctor and critical care paramedic from KSS were dispatched to deliver life-saving treatment at the scene, and they continued to treat Ayla as she was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at St George's Hospital in London. Ayla was one of the first children in the UK to be given a pre-hospital emergency plasma transfusion by a helicopter emergency medical service.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdShahram said: “If it wasn’t for KSS, my daughter would not be here today. It was the skills of their team, their quick thinking, and the treatment in the air which undoubtedly saved Ayla’s life. KSS is a charity that relies on donations from the local community in order to operate 24/7 and I wanted to fundraise for them as my way of saying thank you.
“I knew I needed to do something entirely outside my comfort zone in order to raise a significant amount of money from friends, family and colleagues – so I decided I would climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I have never camped before or done any hiking – in fact, I’m not at all sporty - so this really was a significant challenge for me.”
On the day he reached the summit, he completed a 17-hour hike through the night, starting at 11pm. Shahram said: “I am very proud of what I have achieved and, most importantly, that I have exceeded my fundraising target for KSS. I have had over 190 donors and have been overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family, patients and colleagues. Given the cost of living crisis and the economic climate, the response I have had has been incredible.”
Lola Inge, from KSS, said: “We can’t thank Shahram enough for his amazing fundraising feat, helping us to continue to bring the emergency department to patients, such as Ayla, wherever and whenever they need us.”