A CWMBRAN man who suffers from a rare kidney disease has raised more than half of his fundraising target before taking on the highest mountain in Africa in October.

Kyle Foster, 26, was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy - also known as Berger’s disease - 10 years ago.

Seeing his son's life hampered by the disease, Mr Foster's father, David, selflessly donated his kidney in 2011.

Having been told by doctors that keeping active will boost the lifespan of his kidney, Mr Foster is preparing to climb the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, which stands at 5,895 metres above sea level.

In the process, he hopes to raise £4,000 for Kidney Foundation Wales, having already raised £2,654 for the charity.

Mr Foster has been in training for the mammoth challenge since February, losing two stones in the process, and has been running six miles every day and doing weights in the gym.

Climbing Pen y Fan and Snowdon regularly, he has also been using a training mask to replicate the altitude he will experience.

Mr Foster even went away to Thailand for 10 weeks of intensive training earlier in the summer – attending a Tiger Muay Thai camp in Phuket.

Mr Foster was trying to replicate the gruelling conditions he will face, with temperatures in the high 40s and humidity at 70 per cent during his stay in Thailand.

He said: “I’ve been training for around five hours a day and I knew that the heat in Thailand would help me. It was crazy and really tiring.

“It’s really difficult and a lot harder to breathe.

“The air gets a lot thinner the higher up you go and you need to get into the rhythm.

“But my Dad’s been cheering me on and my brother, Gareth, has been inspiring me.

“I’m just thinking what to do next.”

For more information and to donate, visit https://fundraisekw.everydayhero.com/uk/kyleFosterclimbingkiliamanjaro.