Ascension was set up by Tj Lotay in honour of his late Mother. His Mother passed to a ten year battle against brain tumour in 2019; regardless of such news received she always remained positive, happy and spread joy & laughter in each day.

Tj has also added Mental Health Awareness to Ascension, as it is a very personal problem in his life. Tj openly discuss how he suffers from mental health and is on medication for it, he has battled with anxiety, social-anxiety, depression, dysania, panic attacks and at times suicidal thoughts. With first hand experience, he is working hard to support anyone who suffers and battles with any form of mental health problems. Tj is a massive supporter of Mental Health Awareness.

“If I can help anyone, any family, who are battling a brain tumour or mental health (which often can go hand in hand), then I will, whether they want a distraction with a mountain or simply an ear to speak to, I am that, my time is yours”. 

Tj’s Mother; Rashpal Lotay was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2009. The brain tumour took over his mothers life, but yet everyday she still smiled and tried to support her four kids the best she could. Until May 2019 she sadly passed away.

The doctors mentioned how the norm of Brain Tumour Research is a life span of three-ish years, but Rashpal Lotay showing her strength pushed over further than that. She fought for ten years and two days and through that she never complained nor did she stop smiling. Tj said that his “Mother was my hero, my inspiration, she was the strongest person I had ever known, she had my back when no one else did and she forever supported me. My mother was the one who believed in me hiking and pushed me to conquer amazing mountains, and when she left this world, she took a piece of my heart with her”.

Rashpal Lotay was a free spirit, she always loved the brighter stuff, the environmental landscape, the colours of the world. She never saw grey and kept that with her spirit. Her positive presence was contagious, and she even had random strangers approach her cause of her warming attitude, she was a fun woman to be around and loved her music and dance, she was a good woman who always put herself second and everyone else first. 

Each family member had a special bond with Rashpal Lotay; Her Husband was her shield, he was by her side every step of the way, their love was undeniable and when both were in the same room together then their positivity and loving energy would spread to anyone else present; they were impenetrable, no dark energy could ever touch them when they were side by side. Her Three Daughters were her armour, they kept each other strong, and moved each other forward, there was always one at present and they helped her feel light, at times you could mistake all four of them as sisters because they’re personalities complemented each other, she was always rejuvenated. Her Son was her sword, he had a bond with her that he never felt with anyone else, he always tried to make her feel like a Mother and not the other way round. They goofed around a lot,  joked and constantly made each other laugh, he would bend rules for her and tried to keep the adventure alive. Tj always felt that his mother was in his corner, and whilst he admits he had at times been a reckless and arrogant teenager, his Mother always had his back.

He shared all his stories, secrets and/or problems with his Mother, she loved hearing his travel stories, and he would tell them all to her; he took photos not for himself but for his Mother so she could see the beauty of the world. Even when she lost her abilities Tj felt that he could still understand her just by looking into her eyes, they would fixate on him and only him, out of anyone in the room and he would know what she was saying or thinking; a magic between a mother and a son. His only despairing thought is that his Mother left when he was still too young, he only wished she had seen his life with him for at least a few more years. 

She inspired and motivated her family to always be more than what they thought they were. Tj who also suffers from anxiety & mental health problems, found serenity and stillness within the mountains, something his Mother helped drive him towards. He is a hiking leader; thus naming his fundraising group: Ascension, and he is thriving towards trying to raise awareness for the charity whilst using hiking as his premise.

Tj also wants to make it clear that he also is here for anyone who just wants to talk or let out their heart, especially as Tj’s mental health got worse after his Mothers Passing and he prays no one experiences the mental pain he did. “For anyone going through a Brain Tumour, or any families or friends of a loved one who is, know that me and the mountains are always open, I don’t want anyone to feel alone, overwhelmed or hopeless. It’s easy to neglect ourselves in time of crisis and create a shadow of mental depression, but I say to all those diagnosed, or families of those, know that I am always here”.

Previous Fundraisers & Events.

Angels Landing, Utah Hike. Raised £1,618. (July 2019; postponed to 2022)

Scafell Pike, Walk of Hope. Raised £2,735. (September 2021)

Amazon Goes Pink. Raised Awareness. (October 2021)

Future Fundraisers & Events.

Pen Y Pan, South Wales (January 2021)

Snowdon, North Wales (February 2022)

Ben Nevis, Scotland (April 2022)

Flørli 4,444 Steps, Norway (May 2022)

Samaritans Call 116 123. Email jo@samaritans.org

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALL) Call 0800 58 58 58 

Papyrus Call 0800 068 41 41.Text 07860 039967. Email pat@papyrus-uk.org

Childline (for children under 16) Call 0800 1111.

SOS Silence of Suicide Call 0300 1020 505. Email support@sossilenceofauicide.org

Personal Email Support.

If anyone is looking for someone to talk to, please email me on tjlotay1993@hotmail.co.uk, and we will go from there. 

Never suffer alone.