A MOTHER who knows the heartache of losing a child to cot death is to undertake a 120-kilometre trek in South America to raise money for cot death research.

It is 11 years since Collingbourne clerical worker Evelyn Harman's daughter Carly died, but she will never be forgotten.

Mrs Harman will be swapping her desk in a military legal section for mountain trails in the Andes next month to raise funds for cot death research. With some sponsor money still to come in, Mrs Harman, 40, from Brunton, in Collingbourne Kingston, has already reached the £2,500 target she was set.

She said £1,300 goes towards the cost of the seven-day trek through the Andes from Argentina into Chile, and the remainder goes to the Foundation for Study into Infant Deaths.

Mrs Harman, who has three other children aged between 20 and seven, said that although cot deaths have been reduced because of a greater understanding of the cause there is still a disturbingly high incidence of cot deaths in the UK.

She said: "Eight babies are still dying of cot death each week."

Mrs Harman has been preparing for the challenge by walking around Collingbourne with her good friend and mentor, Bridget Kertland.