A CHARITY account handler who fought back from the heartbreak of an ectopic pregnancy is going on a sponsored trek in South America to raise awareness of the condition.

Charlotte Caley, 30, from Buckhurst Hill, has set off to Peru where she plans to walk through the Andes mountain range in aid of the The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust.

After discovering she was pregnant, joy turned to despair for Charlotte, when in May this year she was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy at Whipps Cross Hospital, Leytonstone.

She said: “I just went to hospital with pain and then I found out and it was decided to have surgery to remove it. It was all a bit sudden. I'd only found out a couple of weeks before that I was pregnant.”

Ectopic pregnancy, where an egg becomes fertilised outside the womb affects one in 80 pregnancies and kills five women a year across the country.

Charlotte said: “I feel lucky. I don't think it's as rare as people might think. Since it happened I've been talking to people and everyone seems to know someone who's been affected by it.”

After flying out today (September 17) Charlotte will spend five days trekking through the Andes visiting Peruvian villages and tackling mountain trials on her way to Machu Picchu.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” she said. “I'm not the camping type so I don't know what to expect. I've been walking home with in my boots and taking walks in the forest as preparation.

“Originally I wanted to raise about £500, but I've already passed that so I'm looking for a thousand now.”

To sponsor Charlotte visit bmycharity.com/V2/Charlottecaley.

More information on ectopic pregnancies can be found at ectopic.org.uk.