After Chris Mountain’s best friend Ashley passed away while waiting for a liver transplant at the age of 31, he and his partner, Sammi, decided fundraise for the British Liver Trust in Ashley’s memory.
Ashley had a rare condition called Budd Chiari Syndrome (BCS) which affects the liver and blood vessels. In BCS, blood has difficulty flowing out of the liver which can lead to a build-up of blood and eventually, in some cases, liver failure.
Sammi explains: ‘We decided to organise a charity ball in his memory. Chris and I organised the event ourselves - we had to work on it most evenings and weekends to fit around work. I more than likely annoyed every business in Lincolnshire about raffle and sponsorships!
‘When we started to sell tickets we were blown away about the amount of support we received from our family and friends, people who knew Ash and also businesses buying tables.
‘At the event in September, we ended up raising over £7,000 for the British Liver Trust (£14,000 in total) with over 350 people attending. All 36 tables at the event had been sponsored by a local business and we also had over 90 raffle prizes donated.
‘This was all down to the massive amount of support we had from family and friends and the generosity of so many businesses.’
A wonderful tribute
Audrey Cornelius, Fundraising Manager at the British Liver Trust, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Sammi and Chris for all the hard work they put into raising funds for the British Liver Trust. Every penny they raised will go towards providing vital support to people with liver disease. What a wonderful, fitting tribute in memory of their friend Ashley.’
The couple are now raising funds to cover the costs of running the London Marathon in 2020. Sammi is running for the British Liver Trust, and Chris is running for Cancer Research. To find out more about this or to make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/teams/ChrisSammiLondon2020
You can find out more about Budd Chiari Syndrome online or download the publication. If you'd like to find out more about organ donation and how to become a donor, visit the NHS webpage.
