Journey to Kilimanjaro and Beyond
Sebastien Sasseville was a 24-year-old like any other - but in a moment, his whole life changed. That moment was not when he was diagnosed with diabetes, but when he decided to do something about it. He jokes that he allowed himself to be depressed for only three hours following his diagnosis, and then began to look at how he could create a vision for something much larger than himself.
Sebastien set out on a mission to show young people that having diabetes doesn't have to hold them back - that they can reach higher and farther than they might think they can. His idea was to lead a group of diabetic teenagers to the summit of Africa's highest mountain, raise money for diabetes research, and film a documentary that could be used to inspire others.
From conception to departure, the trek was over 18 months in the making, with endless challenges and mishaps along the way. Sebastien knew right from the beginning that it was a wildly ambitious undertaking. From securing sponsors, a medical team, and a documentary crew prepared to make the trip, he then had to convince parents to let their kids go off to Africa and climb a dangerous mountain - and handle all the risks associated with altitude sickness, extreme temperatures, and diabetes!
21 Days to departure
After a rigorous recruitment and screening process, 9 candidates were chosen between the ages of 15 and 20 to make the trip. But climbing the mountain wasn't to be the only challenge this team had to overcome. The day the selected candidates were to be announced, the medical team withdrew from the project. Knowing that having no medical team would change the risk scenario considerably, Sebastien had to come up with a new formula for parents to consider in order for the project to move forward - let your child go alone, or you can come with us. By some miracle, all 9 candidates still agreed to come, and 4 parents joined the expedition as well!
In January of 2005, a group was formed to embark on a journey that would change their lives forever. The journey to Kilimanjaro had begun.
