A GRIEVING MUM has scaled the UK’s highest mountain and written her daughter’s name in the summit snow – 13 years after tragedy struck.
Natasha Cashmore from Barnsley, South Yorkshire opted to climb Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands in memory of her daughter who would have been 13 this year.
Her daughter Grace was born in September 2009 but tragically passed away just seven days later after contracting Coxsackie virus.
The 34-year-old scaled the 4,413 foot mountain by herself on Saturday in just three and a half hours in order to remember her daughter.
However, Natasha felt closer to her daughter when she was on the hike up the mountain and so did not mind doing the ascent by herself taking five hours in total to finish her hike.
Touching images shared to social media show Natasha at the summit of Ben Nevis holding aloft one hand and pointing towards the sky.
Another picture shows the name of her daughter traced into the snow at the top and a third shows a teddy bear with a smaller bear sitting atop the Ben.
Social media users were quick to like the post which received over 500 likes and tens of comments.
One said: “What a lovely way to celebrate Grace’s memory, I’m sure she was watching over you all the way.”
Another added: “How beautiful, well done you. I bet Grace would be very proud.”
A third replied: “Amazing achievement in her name.”
Another commented: “Wonderful post, great pics, good effort, your daughter would be proud.”
Speaking today, Natasha said: “When it came up to Grace’s tenth birthday I always wanted to do something to raise money for charity or in her name, on the tenth anniversary I did a skydive and it just kind of snowballed from there.
“Last year it was the Yorkshire three peaks challenge.
“The year before because of covid I did a step challenge, I said I wanted to do Ben nevis just because it’s the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom.
“I think as well the last couple of years there seems to be a bit of a shift when you have lost a baby, trying to remove the stigma around baby loss from Oct 9-15 there is baby loss awareness week.
“There’s only been that shift in the last couple of years before that it was a taboo subject so I’m trying to advocate for that as well.
“In total I think I’ve raised about four and a half thousand pounds in the last few years
“I’ve got a massive love of the outdoors, from a mental health perspective it’s one of my main coping techniques, when I am on a hike or on a mountain I feel closer to my daughter.
“Once you’ve lost a child or a baby, nothing comes close, nothing is as hard as that.”
