A dad is preparing to take on a gruelling Himalayan peak more than four times higher than Ben Nevis in support of his nine-year-old step-son.
Kieran Toner, from Christleton, Chester, who has two step-sons, Ruben Baldwin, 9, and Wesley Baldwin, 15, will embark on the trek up Napal’s ‘Beding Go’ 6,125 metre peak after Ruben was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two years ago.
His aim is to raise £5,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - a charity researching into a cure - by reaching the summit of the unclimbed mountain in November.
He has already raised almost £3,000.
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the immune system fights against the cells within the pancreas, destroying the body’s own cells that produce insulin.
It leaves the body with no control over the sugar levels that build up in the blood and there is currently no cure.
Kieran, who will take on the challenge with Expedition Wise - an adventure programme which organises challenges for charity - said he has always been one for pushing himself and setting goals.
“I spend a lot of my time on mountains and I loved the idea of going where nobody else has ever been before,” he said.
“I’ve donated a bit to charity since Ruben was diagnosed so I thought it would be good to combine the two by raising money and showing Ruben he can set goals and achieve them.
“I’ve never done anything like this before - I’m really pushing myself out of my comfort zone this time to inspire Ruben and hopefully find a cure.”
In November 2014 Ruben was rushed to A&E at the Countess of Chester Hospital having fallen seriously ill.
He was later diagnosed with diabetes type 1 which came as a ‘heartbreaking shock’ to Kieran and his wife, Dawn Toner.
Ruben's mum, Dawn, said: “Ruben injects himself between eight and ten times a day just to stay alive.
“He has to do this every time he eats and I constantly have to check him at least twice a night.
“You can never really switch off from it - it’s life changing.
“It’s hard to comprehend what he is going through on a day to day basis - it’s always on his mind and he’s very aware of it.
“No nine-year-old should be thinking about the things he thinks about every day.
“We want to show Ruben that he can set targets and have big goals in life and that they are all achievable.
“It’s so important to us to make sure he knows that he has diabetes, but diabetes doesn’t have him.”
Kieran added: “He’s awesome, he’s completely taken it in his stride and nothing will stop him doing what he wants to do.
“We try to encourage Ruben to raise money for the charity too so last year we did the Santa Dash and raised over £1,000.
“As parents it is quite tough to deal with but it’s inspiring to see him coping with it so well at such a young age.
“The hardest bit is getting up in the morning and going to check if he is still breathing.
“We go to bed not knowing if he will ever wake up.”
Should Ruben’s blood sugar levels go too low, he could pass out and fall into a coma.
He also runs the risk of developing blindness, kidney disease and heart disease if his blood sugar levels are constantly running high.
Kieran’s adventure will be completely self-funded, allowing all donations received through sponsorship to go directly to finding a cure.
Dawn added: “Ruben is extremely proud of Kieran - he understands how big this is.
“It’s a big challenge to take on - they will be sleeping in tents in along the way in temperatures below -30 degrees.
“I didn’t quite realise the extent of the challenge to begin with.”
To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kierantoner
