A man from Bootle has decided to climb an active volcano in Indonesia to raise money for ward 10z in Liverpool Royal Hospital, in memory of his friend, Naomi Daly.
Scott Stringer, 25, made the decision to climb Mount Semeru to raise money for ward 10z just two weeks ago after seeing one of his friends, who lives in Indonesia, post a picture of the volcano up on Facebook, with the caption, “Some of my mates are going to climb this in August. Anyone’s welcome to join.”
Naomi was diagnosed with lymphoma and leukaemia, and passed away 16 months after, at the age of 21, and ward 10Z at the Liverpool Royal Hospital is the day care ward that looked after her following her stem cell transplant in February last year.
A close friend of Naomi, Scott said: “Naomi started the work that both me and Naomi’s whole family wish to continue, which is to refurbish and improve the conditions on this ward. It was a cause very close to her heart and now close to mine. She was absolutely the most amazing, kindest, best inspirational person I’ve ever met. She’d call me crazy for doing this, but she’d call me crazy anyway.”
Having never flown abroad before, Scott will have to endure an eighteen hour flight to Indonesia on his own, in order to meet the group of people he will be climbing up the 12,060ft tall volcano with, which erupts every 20 minutes, and takes over two days to reach the summit. However he insists that he is not scared about anything.
He said: “I went up Snowdon when I was 12, but Snowdon’s easy. I’ve got no fear at all. Nothing can scare me. I’ve got two motorbikes, I’ve been in fast cars, I’ve had lots of piercings and tattoos and none of that’s bothered me. Nothing bothers me.”
A lover of tattoos, Naomi wanted a tattoo of a cancer research ribbon, with the words “You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice” written across it. However, as she was unable to get it, Scott got it for her. The tattoo parlour where he had it, 3 Sixes Tattoo, are holding a charity day soon, where anyone can get a tattoo of a charity symbol, and make a donation, rather than paying for the tattoo.
Having already raised £515.50, Scott has already got some other challenges planned for before the climb, including kayaking Leeds & Liverpool Canal, a Race for Life in a Pikachu onesie, and he is even looking in to doing a mankini car wash, rather than a bikini car wash, as well.
To sponsor Scott, click here.