Climbing for a Cure - Anna & Rob - Kilimanjaro

My dad and I are heading to Africa to take on an epic, challenge-of-a-lifetime, 8-day Kilimanjaro trek to raise money for Debra UK, in the hope of finding a cure for 'the worst disease you've never heard of' and giving little Jasmine a chance to be free of pain and enjoy a life she can only dream of.

Most people that know us, will know of my daughter Jasmine, who was born with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB), which is an extremely rare disease that affects her entire body, causing her to be in excruciating pain every single day. Jasmines form of EB means that the 'glue' that holds the layers of skin together is missing, causing her skin to shear off, blister or tear at the slightest touch. Her body is bandaged from her neck to her toes. The wounds are often compared to those of 3rd degree burns. Imagine then, having to endure 4-5 hour full dressings changes every other day for your whole life. But the thing is - Jasmine doesn't have to imagine, this is her (and our) life.

As you can appreciate, diseases such as these come with their own complications - so if you think what I've said so far is bad enough, Jasmine also has to deal with osteoporosis, partial kidney failure, gastronomy feeds, regular blood transfusions, procedures to release strictures of the throat and inevitably, mental health difficulties. Any one of these on their own is enough to bear, and at her young age, I honestly don't know how she does it - and she shouldn't have to.

This isn't the life a 12 year old should ever have to endure - we need a cure and we need it now.

This is where you can help. Please support my dad and I, as we leave our families (which, when you have a child with EB, is a massive undertaking in itself), and take on the biggest challenge of our lives, to raise as much money as we can to get closer and closer to the cure Jasmine, and others just like her, so desperately need.

Thank you for taking the time to read our story - please feel free to share far and wide.