A BRAVE and charitable woman is set to tackle one of the world's toughest challenges in honour of her late best friend.

Lauran Willder, of Humber Road in Ferndown, hopes to raise funds and awareness of the British Heart Foundation years after she lost her good friend, Natalie Viner, to an undiagnosed heart condition.

Natalie was just 16-years-old when she passed away.

Now, to celebrate what would have been her friend's 30th year, Miss Willder wants to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

Turning 30 herself in December, she hopes to smash her target of £1,500 to help others who could be saved by the charity's work. She'll be footing the expenses herself so that every penny donated can go to straight to the foundation.

She said: "On January 30, 2002, my own heart felt like it had stopped, when I was given the news that my best friend Natalie had died in her sleep.

"I was 15 and she was 16.

"Natalie died of an undiagnosed heart condition called Long QT Syndrome - the same condition she had lost her own dad to, at the age of 36 just a couple of years prior.

"From then on I told myself I would need to live life twice - once for me and once for Natalie."

Lauran has been busy training hard and will be climbing Ben Nevis in August in preparation for the epic climb.

"In December I will be turning 30," she added. "For Natalie she never got that opportunity, so when I reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, as the sun rises in Africa, I know I will have honoured a very special girl and no doubt she will be with me in spirit every step and stumble of the way.

"All the money I raise will be going directly to the British Heart Foundation. None of your money will be going towards the cost of my trip and if you could support this great cause with any amount I would be so delighted."

To donate to Lauran's cause visit justgiving.com/lauran-willder4. Alternatively text DWAW64, with the amount, to 70070.