Franca Serafini, an anaesthetist with a passion for mountain climbing, has worked for the Trust for eight years and especially enjoys working on the labour wards and orthopaedics, but it is happy to be involved in everything that comes up.
In her spare time, Franca is a keen mountain climber and has big plans to tackle some of the most challenging peaks in the world later this year. Now aged 50, Franca will travel to Kathmandu in Nepal later this year to climb not one, but two incredibly difficult peaks. Both summits are 6,200 metres high.
She said: "I just can't wait to start climbing them! I decided to take on the challenge in 2005, when I had a revelation. I have a good job and a lovely family, but I realised that something was missing. I realised that 'something' was mountains.
"I was born in eastern Italy near the famous Dolomite Mountains, and climbing has been part of my life since I was two years old. But as I got older, I stopped climbing so much and I decided that I had to get back into it."
Franca is so passionate about climbing that she's studying for a diploma in mountain medicine. When she completes the course, she could be posted at Everest's base camp and be on hand to treat all mountaineers suffering from altitude sickness and minor injuries.
She said: "It's my dream to be able to help and give treatment to people that become sick as they're climbing. It's something I'm really excited about doing.
"Saying that though, I couldn't leave the hospital for good - I love working here and in an acute setting. Perhaps I could just be a mountain doctor for a couple of months every year!"
Franca has already paid for the expedition herself, and is now trying to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
