Former nurse trekking the Alps for charity after conquering one of the least survivable cancers

Former nurse, Dawn Clayton, will hike her way across the Alps to raise money for Tenovus Cancer Care after surviving one of the less survivable cancers.

Fortunately, Dawn’s cancer was diagnosed early enough for her to receive surgery, the only curative treatment for pancreatic cancer, yet fewer than 10 per cent of patients are afforded this opportunity.

Dawn, along with her husband Paul, will climb more than 30,000ft across the Alps in 7 days to raise money towards for people affected by cancer, commemorating 10 years since her diagnosis.

They will begin their trek between the Alpine capitals of Germany Garmish-Partenkirchen and Austria, Innsbruck. Trekking the Tyroleanweg (Tyrolean Alps) taking in the spectacular views of the steep alpine gorges an valleys of the Karwendel and Wetterstein mountain ranges. They will spend their wedding anniversary in a hut high in the mountains before trekking the remaining gruelling peaks and reaching Innsbruck.

It’s a challenging expedition for experienced hikers and demands a high level of fitness as the days involve up to 8 hours of strenuous hiking in rugged terrain. 

This is something the pair encountered last year on a similar expedition trekking from Germany to Austria. 

Austria holds a special place in Dawn’s heart. It was while holidaying here with Paul and their two young children that she prepared to get fit for her first surgery following her pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

She thought it would be the last time she’d get to go on holiday with her family and vowed that, if she survived, she would return. She has since returned each year with her family to hike and mountain bike, but this will be one of her biggest challenges yet, as she hopes to raise funds to enable others to realise and achieve their goals and dreams.

Pancreatic cancer patients face appallingly low odds of survival. More than half of people diagnosed die within three months and just seven per cent of people live for five years after diagnosis. Tragically, in the UK, 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are not being diagnosed until after the disease has spread and lifesaving treatment is no longer possible – almost double the proportion for other cancers.

During a holiday in 2014, Dawn experienced extreme and unbearable upper abdominal pain for the first time. She went to a local hospital where she was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and once back in the UK, had her gallbladder removed.

However, the following year she felt the intense pain again. Tests revealed she had cancerous cysts on her pancreas.

Dawn was working as a nurse at the time and was fully aware of how serious her situation was. Luckily, it was caught early enough for Dawn to have surgery the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Dawn was advised to have “mop up” chemotherapy, having three gruelling treatments per month for five months.

Afterwards, she continued to volunteer for Girlguiding and felt well enough to attend university completing ‘return to practice’ registration to enable her to re-establish her career until she once again felt that familiar pain.

The scans once showed pre-cancerous cysts in her pancreas. Dawn had to have her entire pancreas and spleen removed in 2020, during an intense and long operation. Now, four years later, Dawn had adjusted to life without these organs and plans to raise money in a spectacular feat.

The trek is daunting for most, but Dawn will have additional obstacles, such as carrying all her medication, including Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy tablets without which she cannot digest her food, as well as her monitor of insulin pump as she is type 3c diabetic.

Dawn is aiming to raise awareness and funds to support Tenovus Cancer Care's vital services.