Fareham man to raise money for fertility charity by hiking to Everest base camp
A FAREHAM man who said the realisation he wouldn’t be able to have children with his wife was like a ‘complete loss of identity and purpose’ is set to take on a sponsored hike to Everest base camp to help others facing fertility problems.
Adventurous Aaron Sutton and his partner Lucy had always dreamed of starting a family together.
But after trying to conceive for two years and then waiting another two years for a diagnosis they were told Lucy had gone through an early onset menopause – ruling out the possibility of IVF.
Aaron said: ‘The gut feeling was complete loss of identity and purpose. When we realised it was awful.
‘It’s like going through a grieving process but not to grieve for someone who you’ve lost, rather a life that never was. It’s the same but without the the person to remember or the gravestone to visit.’
Now, almost 10 years later the couple have come to terms with their situation.
Aaron, 43, said: ‘After about three or four years life got better. We realised life can be really meaningful and fulfilling, that’s what we want to be telling people in similar situations.’
Aaron also joined an online support system last year to chat to other men from across the UK about their experiences.
Run by the Fertility Network charity, Him Fertility meets every month.
‘I'm so proud to be part of Fertility Network’s Him Fertility group supporting men facing fertility difficulties, ensuring they have a safe place to share their struggles and to know they have other men that have their back,’ he said.
‘It’s wonderful. It’s really good to see a group of men opening up. There are some really tender moments and they get this wall of support.’
Now Aaron hopes to give something back to the charity by setting a target of £1,000 to raise via supporters of his Everest trek, which he starts on March 4 and will see him hike to an altitude of more than 5,000 metres.
He added: ‘I am just super excited, it’s a part of the world I’ve always wanted to go to.’
You can donate to Aaron’s epic Everest challenge at justgiving.com/fundraising/aaron-sutton4.