A woman with a rare life-threatening condition is going to trek 24 miles over three mountains.

Joanna Jerden, 49, of River, Dover, has the illness that killed terrorist-turned-politician Martin McGuinness three weeks ago.

It is amyloidosis, an incurable protein-related illness which can be fatal.

On Sunday, April 30, Mrs Jerden will take part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise £10,000 for research into the condition.

She said: “After a stem cell transplant in 2015 I am attempting to raise awareness of this illness and raise money for the National Amyloidosis Centre in London.”

She will be taken on the trek with her husband Stuart and friends Nigel and Sheila Bodell from River and Phil and Angela Dunford from St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe and Thirusha Lane and David Hutt from the National Amyloidosis Centre in London.

The task is to climb the peaks of Pen-y-ghent, Wernside and Ingleborough in 12 hours.

The route includes 5,200ft of climbing.

Mrs Jerden will find the challenge harder with her condition as it causes excessive tiredness, restricts her diet and affects feeling in her feet and hands, making her unsteady and causing nerve pain.

Her cause is being further supported by a fundraising art competition run by the art group Dover SmART.

Mrs Jerden is a chartered surveyor who works for the estates team at the Port of Dover and her employers are donating prizes for this along with Yorkshire Tea.

Winners will receive their prizes at 5pm on Friday, April 21 at the group’s My Gallery at Waterloo Crescent, Dover.

The artwork will then be displayed at the gallery between 11am and 3pm on the weekend of April 22 and 23.

Amyloidosis is a group of rare but serious conditions where abnormal protein deposits throughout the body.

Mr McGuinness, a former IRA commander who became deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, died on March 21, aged 66.

Mrs Jerden said: “The effects vary because it systematically shuts down organs, muscles, nervous system etc as it progresses around the body.

“The effects can be tiredness, heart failure, kidney failure, nerve issues, sickness, diarrhoea, weight loss, fluid retention, the list is endless.

“Generally chemotherapy is used to try and halt the progression and by way of a maintenance programme but there is no cure as yet. I had eight cycles of chemotherapy in 2012.”

n If you can help Mrs Jerden’s cause visit her group’s website justgiving.com/fundraising/Thirusha-Lane.

Martin McGuinness’ death resurfaced emotions in Deal because of the IRA’s bombing of the Royal Marines School of Music in 1989.

Marianne McNicholas, Deal mayor at the time, said she accepted that he had worked for peace in later life but could never forget that he was part of the IRA.

Eleven bandsmen were murdered in the attack on September 22, 1989.

Mr McGuinness acknowledged that he was in the IRA, saying he left in 1974.

He had become second in command of the terrorist group’s Derry section in 1972.