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19-year-old Brenna Ashby from 19-year-old Hopedale will face 19,340-foot Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania after raising $ 7,000 for Connecticut's Make-A-Wish Foundation. As part of a national organization, the group's mission is to fulfill wishes for children with serious illnesses.
HOPEDALE – In the spring, Brenna Ashby, from Hopedale, plans to climb a mountain for the foundation that helped her family more than twelve years ago.
The 19-year-old University of Connecticut student will face Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania at a height of 19,340 feet, but must raise $ 6,000 for Connecticut's Make-A-Wish Foundation. As part of a national organization, the group's mission is to fulfill wishes for children with serious illnesses.
"I can not wait to go," Ashby said. "It will probably be the trip of a lifetime, and all for a good cause."
When the opportunity presented itself for the first time this fall, she said, she did not know which organization her trip to Tanzania would benefit. When she discovered, she said, her motivation to help has intensified.
"When I was five and (his brother, Chris) was three years old, he was diagnosed with leukemia," said Ashby. "It was hard for him. Young child, he could not play with other children. He was not strong enough, he could not go out.
On the occasion of Chris Ashby's fifth birthday, the family went to Disney World through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was just after a series of chemotherapies, she said, and a few months before it was declared without cancer.
The family has stayed in Give Kids the World village, which is a Make-A-Wish partner and provides all the medical requirements that the program's children need.
"We were able to go and it was amazing, it was almost like he was not sick anymore," she recalls. "It was … as if we had become a normal family again, which we had not seen in three years."
The group traveling to Mount Kilimanjaro from Ashby College includes about 20 students. Each person is required to raise at least $ 6,000. This is the amount that Ashby has put on her fundraising page, but she hopes to raise at least $ 7,000.
She coordinates bottled supply and can drive on campus. She hopes to work with her local high school, Hopedale Junior High High School, and potentially organize bake sales.
Otherwise, she says, she raises money by word of mouth.
"Being part of the Wish family and seeing this experience myself, it shows how much this organization has a positive impact on everyone," she said. "I want other families to know that it can get better."
As for Mount Kilimanjaro climbing, Ashby said she was training more, climbing Mount Washington, using her local rock gym and preparing herself.
"Mentally, I feel it will be the most painful thing," she said. "The last day is 18 hours of trekking."
She used to wear her backpack in her family, so she is familiar with the feeling of preparation and the need to carry the essentials of what a hiker needs on her back. The group of porters who will be transporting tents and food on the mountain is an added bonus for the trip to Kilimanjaro, she added.
In addition to the mental aspect, Ashby is especially worried about altitude sickness, she said.
"We were told that the first day would be the easiest, and as soon as we reach the alpine level, the altitude sickness is very strong," she said.
The 10-day trip in May will provide five days to climb the mountain, including base camps and adjustment periods, and a day to go down.
To donate to Ashby's campaign, go to https://igiving.com/fundraiser/brenna-ashby. Ashby said she had to raise funds by March.
Alison Bosma can be reached at 508-634-7582 or at [email protected]. Find her on Twitter at @AlisonBosma.
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