A DAD who lost his daughter in the prime of her life refused to let altitude sickness prevent him from scaling the highest free-standing mountain in the world.

Determined Phillip Kitchener, 59, battled on and after a six-day trek finally reached the 19,000ft summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

Mr Kitchener, a Colchester Hospital manager, from Grange Avenue, Wickford, set off to climb the mountain in memory of his daughter, Sarah, who lost her life at the age of 27, four years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

He was the oldest member of the 15-strong climbing party, which also included Sarah’s brother Peter, 26, and her husband David Perrow, 30.

Together the group hopes to have raised £20,000 for the Sarah Kitchener Perrow Fund, which is linked to the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust, a UK charity dedicated to brain tumour research Former Bromfords School pupil Sarah was a trainee accountant and moved to London, but returned to the family home in Wickford when she became too ill.

She defied doctors not only by returning to work for a time, but also by working as a volunteer for five months at Colchester Hospital.

Phillip said: “Climbing Kilimanjaro was amazing, but it was an effort.

“It got really hard at points, mainly because of the altitude, and a few times I thought I couldn’t carry on, but I refused to give up.

“Sarah was with me all the way and when I got to the top, I just cried as I thought about her, but there were happy thoughts there too.

“Everyone made such an effort on the trek and we are thrilled to have raised so much for charity. We hope to plan another fundraising caper next year.”