A Macclesfield nurse has climbed to the top of Africa's highest mountain.

Donna Reese, a sister and training facilitator at Macclesfield District General Hospital, recently scaled Mount Kilimanjaro.

In doing so, she raised vital funds for the emergency department, where she has worked for 25 years.

But the challenge was also a very personal one for Donna.

The 52-year-old said: "I took on Kilimanjaro in memory of my wonderful mum, as a tribute to her.

"She would have been incredibly proud to see me take on something like this and I carried her memory with me every step of the way, especially in the hardest moments.

"She was always my biggest supporter, and the climb was for her."

Donna completed the challenge in memory of her mother (Credit: ECNHST)

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Donna, who has led the emergency department's education programme for the past nine years, completed the challenge in September.

So far, her efforts have helped to raise £1,900 towards training resources and development opportunities for her colleagues.

Reflecting on the hike, she said: "This was without question the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

"The days before summit night had already left me exhausted and cold. And after eight days on the mountain, with little sleep and hours of walking every day, every part of me was sorely tested.

"At 10pm on the final night we set off into the pitch-black on our final push for the summit. Near the top I was very much running on fumes and without my incredible guides there's no chance I'd have made it."

Donna has raised nearly £2,000 to support her colleagues (Credit: ECNHST)

Donna continued: "At one point all I wanted to do was lie down in the cold and have a nap, which isn't exactly a great survival strategy at 5,000m. And at nearly every corner we saw someone heading down, or worse being taken down, and the rescue helicopters were practically running an Uber service up there.

"After more than ten hours of solid climbing I finally staggered to Stella Point at 8.36am, which is one the three recognised summits on Kilimanjaro.

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"And of course, after ten hours of dragging myself uphill, I discovered the cruel punchline of mountaineering, what goes up must also come down, and four hours later I crawled back into base camp only to be told we had another seven hours to go to descend to 3,000m for the night. At that point, my legs were filing a formal complaint!

"I'm so glad, and slightly shocked, that I've done it, but let me say clearly, never again. Once is enough!"

You can donate to Donna's fundraiser via her JustGiving page here.

Donna has worked at Macclesfield's emergency department for 25 years (Credit: ECNHST)

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