The Hippo Hands Over . . . . to Dawne Archer

I'm delighted to be handing over to another Indie author as part of #IndieApril. There are so many great sounding Indie books out there and it's well worth checking out the hashtag next time you're on Twitter.

Today's author has an interesting and courageous story to tell and I've really been looking forward to handing over to her ever since she got in touch with me a few weeks ago, so let's get things started with the introductions.

Photo courtesy of phoenixmediamallorca.com

Dawne always expected to end up living amongst the vineyards in France. As it happens, she has ended up amongst the vineyards of Mallorca, at least some of the time.

Despite suffering life threatening blood clots in her 20s, her lifelong passion for travel has taken her across the world, (to places as far apart as Patagonia, Alaska and Morocco) both on holidays and for work.

Dawne discovered THROMBOSIS UK in 2012 and decided to raise funds for the charity by undertaking a trek across the Sahara Desert. A step too far? It was certainly outside of her comfort zone. 

Her aim was to raise funds for their work in education, research and support and this is still a major priority as she continues to raise awareness about blood clots. Dawne has inherited a genetic mutation which makes her predisposed to thrombosis, affecting her life on a daily basis. 

‘TREKKER GIRL MOROCCO BOUND’ is her first published book, describing some of the trauma she suffered after losing her father to a clot and her own dramatic experience aged only 26. The unexpected rekindling of a teenage friendship is an underlying theme to the story, both prior to and during the trek. This book will have you laughing and crying at her antics as you join Dawne on her journey. 

All royalties are donated to THROMBOSIS UK.

Dawne still travels widely, along with finding the time to cram in as many other experiences as possible, including concerts, festivals and radio presenting.

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Hopefully you're as intruiged to find out more about Dawne and her book as I was so here's 10 things you didn't know about Trekker Girl Morocco Bound.

1. I am donating all book royalties to the charity Thrombosis UK which can be found at www.thrombosisuk.org

OUR MISSION - Our priority is for everyone to KNOW the Risks Signs & Symptoms of VTE and to support research to extend UNDERSTANDING into the PREVENTION and BEST MANAGEMENT of VTE.

What is Thrombosis ? Venous thromboembolism or VTE, is a condition in which blood clots form.  Most commonly, blood clots form in the deep veins of the leg, these are known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT. Small parts of a blood clot can break off and travel in the blood stream to the lungs, this is known as pulmonary embolism or PE. A very serious and life threatening condition. Blood clots can form in any part of the body. It is important to seek urgent medical attention if you suspect you have a DVT or a PE. A DVT and a PE = a VTE (an extremely serious and potentially fatal condition)

2. Trekker Girl is me, Dawne Archer. When I decided to embark on a trek in the Sahara Desert, I set up a Just Giving page and needed a ‘moniker’. Trekker Girl just seemed so obvious to me and I was really surprised no one else had taken it.

3. The book has an underlying theme to it. I was lucky enough to be helped through a difficult time in my family’s life by Sarah and her parents and I lived with them when I was 16 for some months. Whilst we lost touch for a huge amount of time, Sarah got in touch via Friends Reunited (the forerunner of Facebook) and we revived what has proven to be a very special friendship. It was reconnecting with Sarah, talking of our hopes and dreams, that led to us going on this trek together. It seemed like a good idea at the time…

4. I talk about my blood clot history. The drama of having life threatening clots in my leg and lung aged only 26, losing my Dad to thrombosis and how it affects my daily life. Raising awareness is key and this book is my attempt to spread the word. Clots can, and do, kill. In fact, 1 in every 4 deaths worldwide is clot related.

That's a high figure isn't it Dawne, I had no idea until now.

5. Sitting for 90 minutes reduces the blood flow in our legs by 50% so we all need to move around as often as possible, particularly if we sit at desks all day to work or spend hours gaming.

6. The photo on the cover of the book is one I actually took on the trek and sums up how I  wanted to view the desert; from the top of a huge sand dune.

 

 I bet that was one hell of a view when you reached the top! 😉

7. This is my first book. Are there any more in the pipeline? Watch this space. I do have a piece in ’40 Memorable Life Experiences’ edited by Robert Fear, about a ‘correfoc’ or ‘running with fire’ fiesta I experienced one hot summer night in Mallorca.  

8. Just before leaving for Morocco, when I should have been training hard, I couldn’t walk. You’ll have to read the book to find out why but I did the trek in a back brace, using two walking poles and munching painkillers.

9. Sarah and I joined a group of people, all walking for various charities, on a trek organised by Charity Challenge and paid all the expenses ourselves so that every penny raised went directly to our respective charities. By the time I left, I had raised over £3,500 and the fundraising has continued since for Thrombosis UK. www.justgiving.com/trekkergirl

10. There are photos of the trek in the book.

I love it when a book like yours has photos as I always feel that it gives a great connection between the author and the reader.

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Trekker Girl Morocco Bound is available now and here's a bit more about it.

Blood clot survivor, Dawne Archer (aka Trekker Girl), tells her story of family trauma, friendship rekindled and what seemed like ‘a good idea at the time’. Was trekking the Sahara Desert a step too far in her efforts to fundraise for Thrombosis UK?

I suffer from Survivor Guilt; why did my Dad die from his blood clot while I lived through mine? At the age of 26 I experienced two clots; one in my leg and another in my lung. People tell me “You’re lucky to be alive!” And they are right.

Having made it to my 50s, I now live a fuller and more active life than ever before, although most people would say that trekking in the Sahara Desert to raise money for charity was perhaps a step too far!
After being contacted by a friend I last saw 35 years before, I rashly signed up for this trek which pushed me way beyond my normal limits of endurance.

Join me on my journey through the trials and tribulations of this adventure. Laugh and cry with me. This is my story.

With blood clots, knowing what to look for might save your life or that of someone close to you.

Thrombosis UK works hard to educate both the public and health professionals to ‘Spot the Clot’.

All profits from sales of this book will be donated to Thrombosis UK.

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You can find out more about Dawne, her book and connect with her using the links below:

Amazon

Facebook

Twitter

 

I'd like to say a big thank you to Dawne for taking the time to write such a great guest post today. I'm truly humbled to have you on The Hippo and I wish you all the best  for the future.