Heart patient hoping to conquer mountain
1:00pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Latest News By Matthew Edwards
Geoff King, left, with TV’s Ben Shephard
A LIFE-THREATENING heart problem is not stopping Geoff King from attempting the mammoth task of tackling Mount Kilimanjaro.
Geoff, 65, of Broome Manor, takes warfarin daily, after suffering a pulmonary embolism - a blood clot that had travelled from his leg to his lungs while on holiday with his wife in France in September 2010, which nearly killed him.
Geoff, a freelance management consultant, has to check his blood levels regularly and can only undertake the trip up Kilimanjaro thanks to the help of Coaguchek XS – a handheld device that can test blood by reading the results from a simple pinprick to the finger.
Due to the extreme conditions of the climb, Geoff will have to be extra vigilant about using his monitor to keep an eye on his levels.
The father-of-two will be raising money for Richmond Fellowship TWIGS, a mental health charity in Cheney Manor, and it will be a family affair as he tackles the climb with his two daughters, Susannah and Stephanie, his brother Rob and Rob’s daughter Sarah. He is set to leave the country tomorrow to climb Kilimanjaro and he will be away until February 18.
Geoff said: “The amount of warfarin is critical. Too little and the blood might clot and block my blood circulation – too much and the blood becomes so thin that I could get internal bleeding: also very dangerous.
“Without the meter, I would need to book an appointment with a nurse, take time out from what I am doing, travel to the surgery, wait, have a needle put into my vein, and then travel back to wherever I am working.
“I’ve always been keen on travel and doing outdoor adventures and I had already booked to climb Kilimanjaro in 2011. This was all before I had the pulmonary embolism in September 2010. And that, of course, put the tin hat on that.
“The CoaguChek XS meter has given me the confidence to take on this adventure in Africa, knowing that I can control my dosage during the climb and will be able to make adjustments to my dose if necessary.
Geoff is the uncle of Daybreak presenter Kate Garraway and he has been receiving tips from Ben Shephard who himself climbed Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief in 2009.
Ben said: “I climbed Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief in 2009, and I found it one of the hardest things I have ever done. I advised Geoff to prepare really well. You have only half the oxygen, so plenty of training is essential.
“Above all, it’s the mental strain that is so hard to overcome, but TWIGS is so worthwhile, that should be a big motivator for Geoff.”
Kate Garraway said: “It’s amazing that my two uncles and my three girl cousins are attempting this challenging climb.
“I am really pleased to support their fund raising efforts, the expertise of TWIGS is needed by so many .”
People wanting to donate should go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/kingkilichallenge2012.
