Sian Milligan, 44, will take on the 11‑day trek through the Peruvian jungle next year alongside her mum, Sylvia Wallace. The pair are raising money for Tŷ Hafan, the children’s hospice that supported their family through the life and death of Sian’s son, Aled.
Sian lives with Functional Neurological Disorder and now needs specialist splints just to walk comfortably. But she’s been training after work, clocking up eight or nine miles at a time.
She said the trek is a personal mission — and a tribute to the little boy who fought every day of his short life.
‘Aled fought so hard to enjoy his life’
Aled was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome and multiple holes in his heart before birth. He later became only the second child in Carmarthenshire ever to be home‑ventilated.
Despite everything, Sian says he was “exceedingly cheeky”, loved music and sensory play, and communicated through sign language.
He died on 13 April 2009, aged just two and a half, after a virus he couldn’t fight off.
Sian said Tŷ Hafan became a lifeline during Aled’s illness — and after his death.
“Tŷ Hafan were wonderful with our Aled. It was a place where I could just be his mum, not his nurse. He loved the sensory room, the rocking chair, the music. Kyle was only four when we lost Aled and the support they gave him was exceptional.”
Her daughter Rhiannon was born three months after Aled died. Both she and Kyle have continued to attend Tŷ Hafan sibling groups over the years.
‘Walking up Machu Picchu is nothing compared to what my boys went through’
Sian says the trek is the toughest physical challenge she has ever faced — but it still doesn’t compare to what her sons endured.
“We can’t train for the altitude, so it’s all about stamina. But walking up Machu Picchu is nothing to what both my boys went through.”
Sylvia, who will be 71 when she takes on the trek, is also determined to complete what she calls her “last big walk”.
The pair will join other fundraisers on the charity challenge in 2027.
‘No family should have to face this alone’
James Davies‑Hale, Head of Fundraising for Tŷ Hafan, said the charity was grateful to Sian and Sylvia for sharing their story.
“When a child’s life will be short, no family should have to live it on their own. This trek will help us support more families through their child’s life, death and beyond.”
More information about the Machu Picchu trek is available via Tŷ Hafan.
