Mr Shahram Kashani, a Consultant Eye Surgeon from Eastbourne, has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, raising over £12,000 for KSS, after we helped to save his daughter’s life.
In May 2015, Shahram Kashani’s daughter, Ayla, fell from a climbing frame. Paramedics attending the incident saw that Ayla’s vital signs were abnormal, with her pulse being unusually high, and they knew that she needed specialist treatment at once. We dispatched a doctor and critical care paramedic to deliver life-saving treatment at the scene, and continued to treat Ayla as we airlifted her to the Major Trauma Centre at St George’s Hospital, London. Ayla, who was seven years old at the time, needed blood, and was one of the first children in the UK to be given a pre-hospital emergency plasma transfusion by a helicopter emergency medical service.
Shahram Kashani, who works at East Sussex NHS Trust said, “If it wasn’t for KSS, my daughter would not be here today. It was the skills of their team, their quick thinking, and the treatment in the air which undoubtedly saved Ayla’s life. KSS is a charity that relies on donations from the local community in order to operate 24/7 and I wanted to fundraise for them as my way of saying thank you.”
“I knew I needed to do something entirely outside my comfort zone in order to raise a significant amount of money from friends, family and colleagues – so I decided I would climb Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. I set myself a target of raising £10,000. I have never camped before or done any hiking – in fact, I’m not at all sporty – so this really was a significant challenge for me.”
Shahram Kashani funded the cost of the trip himself so that all donations would go directly to KSS. He completed the trek from 11-17 February, with a particularly challenging day on Summit Day which involved a 17 hour hike through the night, starting at 11pm.
Shahram Kashani explained, “When I began the trek and saw how far away the mountain was, I never imagined that I’d be at the top of it five days later. I am very proud of what I have achieved and, most importantly, that I have exceeded my fundraising target for KSS. I have had over 190 donors and have been overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, family, patients and colleagues. Given the cost of living crisis and the economic climate, the response I have had has been incredible.”
Lola Inge, our Running and Challenge Manager said, “We can’t thank Shahram enough for his amazing fundraising feat, helping us to continue to bring the emergency department to patients, such as Ayla, wherever and whenever they need us.”
To donate to KSS via Shahram’s Kashani’s Just Giving Page, please click here.
