The Saleem Foundation backs the Sahara Sisters as they take on an epic adventure in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice

This October, a group of nine women, now known as the Sahara sisters, will be trekking across the stunning Sahara Desert, covering approximately 50km over four days to raise vital funds for Acorns Hospice. 

The team members are Aimee Guy, Emma Bernard, Claire Smith, Laura Smith, Jayne Cox, Kelly Copson, Kate Ashman, Nikola Stockley and Emma Edwards.

This adventure will see them braving highs of 35°C during the day, camping out in lows of 0°C at night, and facing whatever elements the desert decides to throw their way.

After the trek, they'll spend two days in Marrakech contributing to a community project that supports vulnerable and homeless people with accommodation and education.

It’s a journey of endurance, purpose, and giving back. Collectively as a group, they are aiming to raise as much money as possible to help support the amazing work that Acorns do, with permission from the family, please read on to learn about.

Olivia’s story as told by her mother, Aimee, who explains why this trek is so important and how their group came about:

“My name is Aimee Guy, I am an everyday mother of four, wife and employee juggling life. What makes my story a little different is why I have chosen to embark on this incredible adventure and draft in eight of my friends for the ride.

On 8 October 2020, following a very normal pregnancy, Olivia was born by planned caesarean section. On this day mine and my husband Jason's worlds were changed forever. We had no idea that a whole new story was about to begin for us.

Olivia was born with a rare genetic condition called 1p36 Chromosome Deletion Syndrome. Unless you know someone who is affected by the condition it’s highly unlikely that you would have heard of it.

Olivia’s condition in a nutshell is a genetic abnormality where a microscopic part of chromosome 1 is missing. Whilst this doesn’t sound like a huge deal, it can have catastrophic consequences, affecting almost every area of the person’s body and development.

So, what does this mean for Olivia and other children living with 1p36. Honestly… we don’t know… and nor do the professionals.

Olivia has a list of complexities and has spent a considerable amount of time in hospital. To give you an idea of Olivia's health needs, here is a little summary:

• Profound learning disabilities,

• Physical disabilities, Olivia can not sit, stand or walk independently.

• Epilepsy

• PEG Fed

• Visual and Hearing impairments

• Non-Verbal

• Partially collapsed left lung

• She has undergone Heart Surgery

"Olivia requires 24-hour care, which is provided by me and my husband."

Shaz Saleem said: "It's an incredible challenge for such a worthy cause, I'm so proud of these amazing people. Acorns Children’s hospice has three sites across the West Midlands, each hospice has a team of local GPs who are available 24 hours a day. The team at Acorns provide a variety of services to their families, however, their standout service is the one service you wish you would never need.

Should a family receive the unimaginable information that their child requires end of life care, the team at Acorns Children’s Hospice are at hand to support the family throughout."

Claire Smith said: "These services are only available because of charitable giving. On average Children’s hospices only receive 17 per cent of their annual budget from the government.

This trek not only raises vital funds for Acorns Children’s Hospice, but awareness that these services exist and need our support to continue to provide vital services to families across the Black Country."

Follow their Facebook page for regular updates on event dates, training walks, and more information on the team. 

On behalf of all of the Sahara Sisters we thank you for your support. 

To donate, head to: justgiving.com/page/camels-do-the-sahara?