8 Apr 2022 Community

Two local GP’s take on epic challenge for The Kirkwood

Two proud Kirklees GPs have taken on a mammoth challenge and climbed 5,500 metres high up to Mount Everest’s Base Camp – all to raise funds for The Kirkwood. The challenge has taken all their physical and mental strength to complete.  

Husband and wife team, Dr Kumar Marimuthu and Dr Sharmala Ramalingam, took on the challenge of a lifetime over the past few days, battling high altitude and the elements on their trek to Everest Base Camp. The mountain trek took a gruelling 13 days. The couple hiked 5,364 metres up in altitude which equates to 17,598 feet and is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas, with about 40,000 people per year taking on the challenge.  

Dr Kumar, 56, is a local GP in Lockwood, meanwhile his wife Sharmala, 52, is a GP in Mirfield. Both have served their communities for many years after qualifying as GPs at similar times. Being GPs, both doctors have come across many people who have accessed The Kirkwood’s services and so both have a clear understanding of how much The Kirkwood is needed in the Kirklees area.  

Dr Kumar said: “We are both local GPs and see on a regular basis the fantastic work The Kirkwood do, and so we wanted to do our bit to help support the charity and raise some funds for them.  

“My wife works with The Kirkwood and is a lead on end of life care for the Kirklees CCG, so she works with The Kirkwood all the time. That is another reason why we wanted to do this challenge and raise some funds, because we feel part of The Kirkwood community. 

“Palliative care is incredibly important and whilst, I am a GP, I don’t know everything and so it is great that we can go to The Kirkwood and ask the questions we need answering and find out the right solutions for patients.” 

Speaking to The Kirkwood before their trip to Nepal, where the trek begins, Dr Kumar said of the challenge ahead: “We do a lot of trekking, we love it, so we have been planning this trip for quite a while, it is a big challenge and we wanted to try and conquer it.  

“We trained well and have taken a number of precautions and medications with us as the altitude at the top can be difficult to deal with.  

“The base camp is about 5,500 metres above sea level, and the very tip of the mountain is about 8,800 metres, so we’ll end at the foot at the mountain. Even going up that high is some challenge and won’t be easy at all.  

“We have been to Ben Nevis, Mount Snowdon and the Yorkshire Three Peaks and so after doing the local ones we wanted to take on an even bigger challenge in hiking to Everest base camp.” 

Dr Kumar and Dr Sharmala have set a fundraising target of £1,000, but the couple are aiming to raise more than that for The Kirkwood.   

Dr Kumar said: “I’d like us to raise £1,000 to start with, I am hoping we can raise more than that, but I thought that would be a sensible target to start with.”  

UPDATE 

The couple made it to Everest base camp and have now completed their challenge! We will catch up with both when they return to England. Well done to both from everyone at The Kirkwood on completing this fantastic challenge. 

If you’d like to donate to their cause, you can now by clicking here or visiting theirJustGiving page at: Kumar Marimuthu is fundraising for Kirkwood Hospice (justgiving.com)