As a technical designer for the entertainment industry, Millie Ashdown has found herself in some unusual locations. None, however, are likely to have been as challenging as the Everest Base Camp in Nepal, where she is planning to trek this October, in a bid to raise £1,000 for the British Liver Trust.
Millie, 29, who is from Ely but now lives in London, first became aware of the Trust when her dad suddenly became ill in 2022
“I remember it vividly,” says Millie. One minutes he was fine, the next, he was vomiting blood and had to be rushed to hospital. He was in and out of hospital for several weeks, culminating in surgery where he had a stent inserted, and subsequently he stabilised.
“We know how lucky we are that dad survived. Until that point, we were unaware that there was anything wrong with his liver. Since then, his diabetes has become much worse (he now needs to test and inject multiple times a day) he can’t ever drink alcohol again, and now he has a pharmacy worth of medication to take each day.
“Watching a close relative going through all this can make you feel very helpless and I felt the need to do something big to help raise funds and awareness for the British Liver Trust as I think it’s important that people who find themselves in a situation like this have a trusted place they can turn to for information. I love exercise and adventure so started to look for a challenge to combine both.
“I’m lucky to have a job which takes me abroad a lot. I could be working on anything from festivals to films, shop window displays to museum exhibitions. Because of this, solo travel doesn’t take me out of my comfort zone, and I knew I needed to take on something which would give me those excited and nervous jitters and, crucially, encourage people to sponsor me!
“I spotted the Everest Base Camp Challenge online, realised it fitted the bill and booked it. It was two days later when I was watching clips of other people’s experience that I realised how big of a trek it actually is! So I’m excited but also nervous and although I’m not a seasoned hiker, I’m already working on a gym program which will build my strength sufficiently to take on this new experience.”
Dan Painter Public Fundraising Manager at British Liver Trust commented: “As a charity, we are leading the fight against liver disease and liver cancer. We reach over two million people each year; providing information and support to patients and families and providing vital advice to help people improve their liver health. But there is still so much to be done. Liver disease is the only major disease in the UK where death rates are rising, and we want to change that. We’re so grateful to Millie for taking on this amazing challenge for us and are sure it will prove a memorable experience.”
You can support Millie’s Everest Base Camp Challenge here Millie Ashdown is fundraising for British Liver Trust.
