A 20-YEAR-OLD will climb Everest base camp in September as a tribute to her grandad who she cared for during the pandemic.
Katie Wilkinson, from Rainford, moved to Norfolk during the lockdown in 2020 in order to care for her grandad Dennis who suffered from Parkinson's.
After Dennis' wife (and Katie's nan) passed away in the early weeks of the pandemic, Dennis was left alone while his family was hundreds of miles away in St Helens.
Katie, who said she was "very close" to her grandad, had only just turned 18 at the time and was in the middle of revising for her A-Levels.
Although Dennis did have some care professionals dropping in to help him, Katie said she wanted to be there for him full-time.
Once her exams were finished, she travelled to Norfolk as his full-time carer for around five weeks.
As covid restrictions were eased, Katie brought Dennis back to live with the family in St Helens, but not long afterward, his condition deteriorated and he was moved into Whiston Hospital full-time.
Katie visited her grandad every day to help him during meal times, but he sadly passed away in September 2021, aged 90.
Katie, who studies Medical Sciences at Swansea University, said: "Once the opportunity came to do the Everest climb, I thought it would be a really nice thing to do in memory of my grandad.
"It wasn't easy caring for him full-time, especially as I was surrounded by my nan's things after she had just passed away.
"But I was really close to my grandad so I wanted to be there for him, and it was nice to have some quality time with him."
With a keen interest in hiking, Katie has already climbed the three main peaks in the UK but said that the Everest base camp challenge, at around 5,500 metres, will be by far her toughest challenge yet.
Helped with bereavement support from Marie Curie after her grandad's passing, the challenge will be raising money for the charity.
With around 40 family members and friends taking part in the challenge in September, the group has already raised more than £93,000.
Katie, who helped to found the Rainford Boys' Brigade and Girls' Association annual fundraiser, said the Everest challenge will be all the more special as she will arrive at the camp on the one-year anniversary of her grandad's passing.
Katie added: "I am a little nervous for the climb but I have been trying to do as much training as I can.
"With it being the one-year anniversary of his passing at the camp, I think it will be really special.
"He was such a lovely man so it will be a great thing to do in his memory."
To support Katie and help her raise more money for Marie Curie, you can visit her fundraiser here.
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