Ian Toothill - the First Cancer Patient to Climb the Everest

How far can you go when life tries to pull you down, when you know that after only a few months, all that is going to stay is your memories in the minds of your loved ones?

Well, in such crucial moments living your life to the fullest and striking a difference while you are still here is what counts the most. Just like it did to cancer patient Ian Toothill.

Now, a resident of Willesden Green, London, 47-year-old personal trainer, Ian Toothill was diagnosed with bowel cancer two years ago in June 2015. By early 2016, he was told that he has been victorious in beating the disease. But unexpectedly and unfortunately, the cancer recurred. He was told by his doctor that his life, now, consists of only some months.

In stead of breaking down, Toothill took the decision of raising funds for the cancer charity Macmillan and headed out on his mountaineering adventure to the Himalayas.

On May 16, he touched the top of the North Col route and by June 5 Toothill reached his final destination – the summit of Mount Everest.

In such a condition, through his audacious expedition, he raised about 31, 500 pounds for Macmillan.

The Experience

After coming down from the mountains, Toothill shared his experience with BBC. He could spend only “two to three minutes” on the summit as although enthralled by the magnificent beauty, he also had to keep in mind about the storm that was forecast while his climb. In that moment of a few minutes he thought about his late mother “who passed away three years ago” and embraced the complete “Everest experience”.

The Challenges on the Way

Climbing the Everest is never an easy task. Toothill’s climb was severely affected by storms as his tent got destroyed and he almost lost everything. According to him, the journey took such a bad shape that he along with the team had to go down again to recover most of the stuffs they have lost. But he never lost hope and wanted to go up again. He was hell bent to prove that “anything is possible”. And he did prove it well.

While coming down from the rugged, white mountains, Toothill even informed that he suffered from snow blindness.

Hurdles before the Adventure

When he took the decision of climbing the Everest, a lot of people thought about the impossibility of the plan and that a cancer patient is not fit to be up there. Driving this impossibility up a notch, about 1,700 insurance companies turned down his plan.    

Accomplishment

A staunch Sheffield Wednesday (football club) fan, Toothill proudly planted the football club’s on reaching the summit of the Everest.