A MAN who survived a life-threatening brain haemorrhage will scale the world’s highest free-standing mountain to raise money for a good cause.

David Morris will take on 19,335-feet high Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in a sponsored climb with dad Colin for children’s charity Whizz-kidz.

Fittingly, the 25-year-old from Llangollen currently works at the Mountain Warehouse store at the Eagles Meadow shopping complex in Wrexham.

The climb comes on the back of three consecutive London Marathons following the near-fatal haemorrhage. David collapsed on Christmas Eve four years ago.

He said: “I suddenly felt very ill and then the lights went out. I was rushed to hospital where they saved my life. I have been told few people survive what I had and those that do are usually severely disabled.

“I got away with it somehow and all I have now is a loss of feeling on my right side.

“It took a week to get me back walking and then I had to learn to speak again and then write as I could no longer spell. Basically you have to sort of rebuild and rewire your brain.”

He continued: “I started out trying to get fit and then me and dad, who had never done anything that energetic before, decided to try the London Marathon.

“We have done the last three, two for CLIC Sargent and one for the Children’s Trust, and raised more than £8,000.

“We have now decided to try climbing Kilimanjaro for Whizz-kidz. We need to raise £3,000 between us and put in lots of training.

“We will be climbing Snowdon a few times and speed walking around the hills of North Wales. It’s all about altitude and endurance.

“Having the brain haemorrhage has changed my life and made me realise how lucky I have been. I now eat sensibly and keep myself fit.

“The Kilimanjaro challenge will be tough but it’s for a worthwhile cause and we are hoping to raise a good amount.”

The pair are aiming to tackle the mountain in September next year.