Northern Ireland

Honeymoon couple to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for niece (2)

Siobhan and Paul McLaughlin will embark on their trek tomorrow
Siobhan and Paul McLaughlin will embark on their trek tomorrow Siobhan and Paul McLaughlin will embark on their trek tomorrow

IT'S not the most relaxing way to start married life but for one couple, a trek up one of the world's highest mountains will be how they spend their honeymoon.

Siobhan (28) and Paul McLaughlin (29) recently tied the knot but instead of jetting away to an idyllic island retreat they will climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

The unusual choice of honeymoon is so the couple can raise funds for a charity supporting their niece, who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy and autism.

Little Florence Johnston (2), from Claudy, Co Derry, was diagnosed shortly before her first birthday with a condition that is caused by a change in her SCN2A gene.

It causes development delays and learning difficulties, with her family already witnessing a change in the skills she had acquired before her diagnosis.

In a bid to help their niece, the newly-weds declined wedding gifts and instead asked for family and friends to donate to the SCN2A Foundation, a charity based in the United States supporting families all over the world affected by the condition.

Mrs McLaughlin, who is originally from Rostrevor, said they hoped their trip to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro would "help make a difference".

"The whole idea came from when we doing a bit of travelling in 2015/16 when we did a trek to the Everest base camp," she said.

"We always said that Mount Kilimanjaro would be the next trip and our honeymoon would be a good time to do it.

"Then we thought why don't we tie it in with trying to help Florence and children like her."

Ms McLaughlin said the cause of the condition is not well understood.

"It's so rare, very little is known about it" she said.

"Florence's parents Jennifer and Robert and the wider family do an outstanding job caring for her, supported by several health services.

"They have regular overnight stays in Altnagelvin Hospital and the staff there have been phenomenal with their support. But we want to do everything we can to find out more about the SCN2A gene and help Florence live her daily life.

"That's why we're taking on this challenge to raise money for research and support.

"In lieu of wedding presents we asked our guests to donate to our fundraising efforts and so far have raised more than $2,000.

"We can't wait, we know it's going to be a challenge. We've been up and down Slieve Donard in preparation, but it will be the altitude that will be the hardest thing when we're there.

"We start our trek on Tuesday and we should be reaching the summit on February 10.

"Not only do we want to raise as much funds as we can, but we hope it will increase awareness of Florence's condition."

For further information and to donate, visit www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/paul-mclaughlin-2/kilimanjaro2019.