Worthing man speaks of miracle that saved his brother ahead of Mount Kilimanjaro climb for St Mungo's

Tony Saxby, 46, said seeing how his younger brother Billy is today is nothing short of a miracle, after battling to support him through years of heavy drinking and homelessness.

Tony will be leaving tomorrow for Tanzania and will spend six days climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, with the aim of raising £4,000 for St Mungo's, a charity that runs a range of hostels and projects to help homeless people rebuild their lives.

The climb is also a celebration of Tony's own journey, having himself been sober for ten years.

Tony said: "Things are difficult for me but I am fine now because I know what I am dealing with. I wanted to do this because I have got into active fitness and to show that I am really grateful.

"I know I am fit, I have no issues with the distance and elevation. I know what I can do and I know it is not out of my reach but nobody knows how their body will react to altitude until they are up there.

"Billy, it is like a miracle. He has always been a tearaway and always turned to drink. I had a real battle for years but I got sober in 2014. I have spent the past eight years focusing on Billy.

"I have found him in Bristol, in Scotland, all over the place. I got him into a place in Weston-super-Mare but he left straightaway and I didn't hear from him until four months later, when I went to a gig in Charing Cross and saw him unconscious in a doorway.

"When I was taking him to hospital, he had a seizure in the car. The NHS are incredible and they do all they can but there is a big gap between that and the help they need.

"The problem is when they are discharged, there is nowhere for them to go. Everything is undone in minutes because as soon as he was discharged, he was back in the same way.

"There are layers of learned behaviour. It is not the drink, it is the obsession that is making him and telling him that is the solution.

"He has been in hospital multiple times but the last time, we didn't know if he would survive. He was found in a serious way. He couldn't walk and hardly talk, there was nothing left of him."

Tony discovered St Mungo's had been trying to work with Billy for some time and the charity helped him to get a care package organised. This time, Billy stayed in hospital for 12 weeks, giving St Mungo's time to arrange rehab.

Having worked through two stages of rehab, something he had never had before, Billy is now living in a flat and working for a charity.

Tony is so grateful, he wants to raise as much as he can for St Mungo's and has been so successful, he has been able to increase his target on JustGiving.

Visit www.justgiving.com/page/ad-saxby-1706736549882 for more information and to make a donation.

Tony said: "I am thrilled to be participating in a personal challenge to climb Kilimanjaro, all in support of the incredible charity, St Mungo's.

"St Mungo's is an organisation that is close to my heart, following the amazing help and support they gave to my brother Billy, to help him back to reality and support him in his road to recovery that most will agree is nothing short of a miracle.

"They work tirelessly to provide shelter, support, and hope to those experiencing homelessness and mental health issues, etc. Their dedication and compassion have inspired me to take on this challenge and I believe if it wasn't for their support and dedication, our family would not have the son, brother, uncle and friend we have in our lives today."