Amazing Annie completes Everest ‘virtual’ climb

A great grandmother from Lorrha who is living with cancer has completed a virtual climb of Mount Everest to raise money for the treatment of a child who also suffers from the disease and who needs treatment in the US to save her life.

Annie Cowan, aged 86, from the townland of Abbeyville, decided to undertake the 64 kilometer challenge - the distance to the world’s highest peak - by walking the lanes around her home and using her disability bike every day to cover the distance.

Annie’s initial plan was to donate a euro per kilometre to a family friend and cancer sufferer, 6-year-old Isla Caton, who is living with a rare childhood cancer, Neuroblastoma, and whose only treatment option for survival is in New York.

But Annie’s ambitions have been far exceeded and to date she has raised almost €2,000, and the orgnisers of the virtual climb are so impressed that they have planted five trees to mark her achievement to enhance Earth’s environment.

It is a truly amazing feat for the Lorrha great grandmother who was herself discharged in a very weak condition from St Luke’s hospital in Dublin on Christmas Eve last year following chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

But what a difference a few months made, as Annie decided to take on the virtual mountain challenge following her 86th birthday in February.

Annie’s achievement in reaching the summit in the virtual climb will see her get a finisher’s medal which she will receive next month.

Annie, who is now living in the family cottage where her own mother was born, started her working life in Dublin at the age of 14. When she was 21 she emigrated to the UK and spent 40 years in London where she had three children and made many friends there, including the family of little Isla whom she knows for over 30 years.

Isla is currently unwell and spending time in Great Ormond Street hospital under observation and is waiting to be well enough to get her next round of chemo.

Annie, who now has seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren spread across Ireland, London, Essex and the British Virgin Islands, are all amazed by her achievement.

“It was hard going for her at times,” her daughter Debbie told The Guardian. Despite feeling unwell after getting her Covid vaccine, she persisted until she completed the 64km challenge.

“She was determined she got out there whatever the weather,” Debbie revealed.

Annie, who returned to her family’s native area of Abbeyville in Lorrha in 1996, was determined to finish her virtual climb of Everest for Isla before the day she herself was due to return to hospital in Dublin on Wednesday of last week for a checkup on her own cancer - actually, she managed to complete the challenge on the previous day.

The great news for Annie is that she has since received a “95% all clear” at the hospital, where she is due to return in six weeks for another MRI ordered by medics who are hoping their positive findings are endorsed by the scan.

Commenting after completing her challenge, Annie said: “I didn't plan it to raise all this money. I did it to motivate myself to get out of bed in my own cancer recovery, and to do it for little Isla and just make a donation myself.

“It's terrible what Isla has gone through over four long years, I don’t know how her family have coped. I was embarrassed to ask for money in a way, but what other option do Isla’s family have when her life saving treatment will cost half a million pounds! It's crazy.”

Commenting on the achievement, Annie’s radiotherapy doctor in Saint Luke’s Hospital, Professor Charles Gillham said: “Annie is amazing, what she’s doing is brilliant. It’s incredibly impressive for someone her age to do that amount of excercise daily. She’s a testament to what older people can achieve.”

Nicola Caton, Isla's mum, said: “Annie is an amazing lady! What she’s done means the world to us and we can’t thank her enough. Isla has been so unwell this year and we just need to keep fundraising to get her to New York for the antibody she needs. We need another £300,000 before we can get started and until then Isla has to keep having chemo and blood transfusions to try and keep the cancer at bay.

“It lifts our hearts so much to know that people in Ireland care about Isla and are trying to help. We're blown away.

“Thank you so much.”