Northumberland dad climbs Mount Kilimanjaro for suicide charity in honour of late daughter

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The father of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life has climbed one of the world's highest mountains in support of the suicide prevention charity which supported his family.

Paul Patterson's daughter Charley died three years ago after being bullied in school and he has now climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in her memory, raising money for suicide support charity If U Care Share.

"Charley won't be forgotten and she is always there pushing me," Mr Patterson said.

"No matter where we go in life, she will always be there," Charley's Mum Jay added. "To see him at the top, to know what he'd been through to climb up, the low points that he hit, as well as the highs.

"She was with him the whole time. It was just a sense of comfort, I guess, as well as proud. So proud."

Charley Patterson took her own life in October 2020. Credit: Handout

Mr Patterson, from Northumberland, took seven days to scale the mountain reaching the peak on Monday 11 September after battling sleepless nights, freezing temperatures and altitude sickness.

He has already raised over £1,500 for If U Care Share. The North East charity works with young people to prevent suicides and support families who have lost loved ones.

Mr Patterson said he wanted to pay back the charity that had helped them so much.

"To give something back to the charity who you helped us and support us," he explained. 

Charley's parents have pledged to keep raising awareness so other families do not have to go through what they did.

Paul Patterson took seven days to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Credit: Paul Patterson

"We feel like we need to do it so nobody else ends up in our situation," Mrs Patterson said. "Nobody else has to live without their child.

"Until we needed we didn't know the charity was there. We didn't know there was a prevention side. We didn't know that there was the support."

Mrs Patterson believes Charley would have thought her Dad was mad for his Kilimanjaro climb but would have been behind him every step of the way.

"She would think he was absolutely crazy," she said. "But she would be super, super proud of him."

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