Theo Fellows and her daughter Pips have conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in aid of the Charity's Skin Tumour Unit Fund. Theo's son Oliver was diagnosed aged 18 with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a cancer of the skin, and his family are determined to raise £3,500 to support research at the Unit.

To sponsor Theo and Pips and support skin tumour research, visit their Justgiving page.

The Skin Tumour Unit is a referral centre for patients with all forms of primary cutaneous lymphoma and malignant melanoma. It has an international reputation for clinical excellence and research, offering a range of treatments and undertaking clinical trials for new therapies.

Theo and Pips were exhausted by the trip, but jubilant about their massive accomplishment, saying: "No one can really prepare you for just how hard this mountain really is, but the sense of achievement afterwards is huge."

After four days' enjoyable trekking the pair started the final assault at midnight on day five, climbing for nearly eight hours to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. Theo described the conditions: "It was bitterly cold, very dark, extremely steep - about 45 degrees - and difficult underfoot. Our lungs really ached, and every step was a huge effort. When we eventually got to the top, our bodies felt totally spent, our water had frozen, and we had another three hours' descent to look forward to."

Pips successfully bid for the Fund to become her school's charity of the term and so The King's School, Canterbury will also play an integral role in fundraising.

Funds raised will support the work of Christine Jones, a Charity-funded PhD student in the laboratory. Christine's work involves looking at T-cells, a type of white blood cell responsible for searching out and destroying infections. She hopes to be able to distinguish malignant T-cells more effectively and identify differences that may reveal important clues as to how cutaneous lymphoma develops.

Theo added: "As everyone will appreciate, making a trip like this and raising sponsorship is one of the ways family can really help and make a difference. The treatment and cure of patients is down to the professionals. This is our contribution."

The Fellows conquer Mount Kilimanjaro