Two Irish sisters have honoured their late father by recreating a photo with him at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Conor O’Duffy reached the African summit nine months before he died from oesophageal cancer when he was 42.
Twenty years later, his daughters Jennifer and Sarah O’Duffy carried his summit photo with them on their climb to capture a photo with him at the same spot on the mountain.
“It was the most amazing experience of our lives,” the sisters said.
“We felt an emotional connection to the mountain and the people, and we now understand why this had been on Dad’s bucket list.
“When times got tough, we felt as though he was with us in some way, motivating and encouraging us to push through the challenges,” Jennifer and Sarah O’Duffy added.
Conor O’Duffy was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer when he was 40 years old.
Following surgery and treatment, his wife Orla remembers he decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro with his brother and nephew.
“It was on his bucket list to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro,” Orla said.
“I honestly don’t know how he did it – it was pure grit and determination. Unfortunately, he was very unwell when he came back to Ireland so we went to his doctor.
“He had a scan and it showed the cancer had spread to his spine. Sadly, he died nine months later when he was 42 and Jennifer was seven and Sarah was four,” she added.
By retracing his footsteps, the O’Duffy sisters are raising funds for the charity Oesophageal Cancer Fund.
So far, they have raised over €30,000 for the charity through their fundraising page.
You can watch our report with Jennifer and Sarah O’Duffy before they embark on their climb below:
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