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Mount Whitney of California's Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park is the tallest summit in the contiguous U.S. With an elevation of 14,495 feet and a difficulty level of strenuous, hiking this mountain might seem daunting, but not to Chuck Norman, RN, CEN, CFRN, CCRN, in the emergency department at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital, Orlando Health.
A self-described lifelong healer, Norman began his fund-raising climbs with a trip to Mount Rainier in Washington in July 2008. A few years prior, his friend was diagnosed with MS. As Norman spent more and more time recreationally climbing, he realized the similarities between symptoms of MS and those associated with acute mountain sickness: impaired cognition, gastrointestinal malaise and pricking or numbness. The striking comparison gave Norman an idea. "I could do a fundraiser that's 15 miles, but climbing a mountain," said Norman, comparing his MS efforts to the popular Relay for Life walking events.
A Nurse First
Norman raised a lot of awareness for the disease, as well as $8,000 for the National MS Society. He felt the overall experience was a way to celebrate his friend battling MS. Norman soon had even more people to celebrate; in 2009, nine friends and family members were diagnosed with or succumbed to cancer. Pushing himself even further, Norman decided to climb Mount Whitney. It was more difficult to raise funds with the economy's downfall, according to Norman, but he still managed to collect a total of $4,000 for the American Cancer Society.
His excursion to Mount Whitney took place in early April 2010. After traveling for 5 and a half hours, the group of climbers (Norman the only one climbing for charity) and guides reached an elevation of 10,500 feet. They pitched their tents and settled down to dinner when one of the climbers developed chest pains. The man also had an irregular pulse and shortness of breath. Immediately, Norman knew he was being tested.
"You either go down and do the right thing, or reach the summit," he said. The decision was not a difficult one to make. "Mountains will always be there."
Norman accompanied his "patient" down the mountain, along with two guides from the group. Their descent was treacherous: 6 hours down in frozen conditions, in the middle of the night, carrying at least 200 pounds of equipment among them. Suddenly the situation escalated, as Norman watched one of the guides slip and fall 3 feet down in front of the group. Screaming out in pain, he saw she had fallen onto her right knee and sustained a serious injury. Norman was able to offer her some first aid, just as he had the climber, until the party reached the mountain's bottom and traveled to a local hospital.
Same Mountain, New Meaning
Though Norman was somewhat discouraged about abandoning his climb so close to the summit, he soon received a great surprise. A proprietor of International Mountain Guides (IMG), the company that provided the guides who aided Norman in both 2008 and 2010, was impressed with his selflessness and commitment to providing care. He offered Norman a second go at Mount Whitney, for free.
Before embarking on that second trip, Norman switched jobs and began working at Orlando Health. He informed his new colleagues about his past feats and his upcoming return to Mount Whitney. One of his colleagues felt particularly connected to Norman's efforts. This colleague's mother succumbed to cancer; he asked Norman to spread some of her ashes on top of Mount Whitney when he finally reached the summit.
"Sometimes things happen for a reason," Norman said. "In April of 2010, I didn't necessarily know that reason."
On April 4, 2011, at 10:50 a.m., Norman reached the summit of Mount Whitney with eight other climbers and three IMG. They traveled by means of the Mountaineer's Route, a very steep and technical trail. The night before, the group faced 70 mph winds and pre-avalanche conditions, as Norman worried this second trip might too be unsuccessful. And had the second trip been unsuccessful, Norman determined he would absolutely make a third. It's all about perseverance, persistence and tenacity when it comes to mountain climbing, he said.
But those qualities aren't just in mountain climbing; they're in the causes he climbs for. After his 2008 climb of Mount Rainier, the National MS Society asked him to give a motivational speech. A crowd of 700 individuals with MS gathered at Orlando's Sea World. Norman was extremely moved by the crowd before him. "Quite honestly, you inspire me," he said to the group. "You are my motivation. I can climb the mountain and I can come down from the mountain, but you live this every day."
Continued Passion
Currently, Norman is training for an October Marine Corps marathon (in addition to being an RN, he has been in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve for 19 years). For the future, he's planning a medical mission trip to South America, coupled with another climb. He hasn't yet determined the cause for which he'll fundraise.
For anyone interested in making similar contributions, but maybe in a less extreme fashion, Norman advocates following your passion. Whether it's walking or baking, that energy can be turned into something positive for someone else. Everyone and everything has the potential to make an impact, "sometimes for people you don't even know."
Chelsea Kenner is a former intern at ADVANCE.
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