Cancer survivor scales Mt. Kilimanjaro

HUDSON — Tears and emotion burst overcame Gayle Garlick moments after stepping foot atop the 19,341-foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro last week after an arduous six-day climb.

Twenty-one months before scaling Africa's tallest mountain, Garlick had been hospitalized and undergoing 24/7 chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with acute myeloid lymphoma, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer that leads to excess immature white blood cells that weakens a person's immune system. She received a lifesaving bone marrow transplant in September 2015.

"This was personal for me," Garlick said of climbing Kilimanjaro as part of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Climb 2 Cure initiative. "This was something I needed to do. When I saw the sign for the summit I wanted to be the first one there. For me, that was slamming the door shut on my cancer journey. That was an exclamation point."

Garlick's journey to Kilimanjaro began over the summer when she was scrolling through Facebook and saw an advertisement for Climb 2 Cure, an initiative in which cancer survivors and others climb the mountain to raise money for the society. She was still working to regain her strength and energy, but wanted to take on the challenge. Her doctors initially expressed some concerns about the possibility of her becoming ill during the climb, but gave her the thumbs-up to begin training in September.

Her doctors fears came true a few days into the climb. Garlick, who has regained about 85 percent of her pre-cancer strength, came down with an illness that caused her to dry heave frequently. Incredibly fatigued, Garlick kept moving forward.

"I had to get up and keep going," said Garlick, 54.

Garlick said the final day of climbing was the most exhausting for the 11-person Climb 2 Cure team from Massachusetts and California, which included one other cancer survivor. The crew, which was assisted by 47 porters and guides who cooked and set up camp, began hiking in the midnight darkness and reached the summit at 7:45 a.m. The day'sjourney was not over yet, though. After a brief celebration, they began their descent and didn't stop until 5 p.m.

The team could not camp above 15,000 feet in elevation because of health concerns, Garlick said.

"On summit day I just put my head down and put one foot in front of the other," she said.

The encouragement and camaraderie of the team helped Garlick through the rough times.

"We laughed a lot," she said. "We had a great time."

Garlick characterized the first few days of hikes toward the summit through different climates as scenic and beautiful. She marveled at the lava towers, rock formations and plants native to the slopes of mountain. While she was excited to see a different land and culture, Garlick was homesick and happy to return to Hudson last Friday. She arrived home to find a congratulatory banner hanging outside her Hudson home.

"They're so proud of me," she said of her parents and husband, Steve.

Garlick hopes to serve as an inspiration to those currently undergoing cancer treatment that they can recover and achieve their goals.

"I did it because I had something to prove to myself," she said. "I wanted to set a goal and get there. I hope people get some encouragement from it."

The longtime Hudson resident raised $11,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization she said is taking tremendous steps to fund research.

She plans to continue fundraising for the society in the future, but does not foresee taking another journey to the pinnacle of Africa.

"I like to climb the White Mountains," she said with a laugh. "As far as mountains over 19,000 feet, I think I'm cured."