EMMA Lewis is preparing to put her best foot forward for a cause close to her heart.

In May Emma will be lacing up her walking boots and taking on her greatest challenge ever when she treks along part of the Great Wall of China - one of the greatest sights and certainly the longest walls of the world.

The impetus for Emma’s charity trek is The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust - a charity she has supported since her own devastating experience of an ectopic pregnancy in 2009.

“The support of the Ectopic Pregnancy Trust has been amazing so any money we can raise to help them continue their great work and awareness will be wonderful. I’m so excited about taking part in this amazing challenge!” said Emma.

An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that has implanted outside the uterus. The most common site for this is in the fallopian tube, which transports the embryo (egg) from the ovary to the uterus. As the pregnancy grows and enlarges it causes pain and bleeding and, if not treated prior, will eventually rupture and cause internal haemorrhaging.

One in 80 pregnancies are ectopic; approximately 12,000 women suffer an ectopic pregnancy each year, but due to how statistics are recorded it is thought to be a gross underestimation.

Symptoms can include abdominal pain, shoulder tip-pain, abnormal or unusual bleeding, a missed or late period, bladder or bowel problems or collapse.

Emma, who lives in Tong, near Bradford, with her family, husband Simon and children eight-year-old Max and Jessica, five, wasn’t initially aware she was pregnant until a test confirmed she was.

“I didn’t know I was pregnant until I started feeling really poorly,” says Emma.

Abdominal pain in her right side, bleeding and shoulder pain were just some of the tell-tale signs prompting Emma to seek medical advice, but by the time her ectopic pregnancy was diagnosed she needed emergency surgery.

Now, as well as helping the Trust which supported her through her own devastating experience, Emma hopes to raise awareness to help other families in future.

Although she is self-funding the charity trek, she is seeking sponsorship to help fund the Trust, ensuring it can support other families who find themselves in the same situation.

As part of her fundraising, Emma held a fair at Birkenshaw Community Hall in Birkenshaw and previously walked around Bolton Abbey with her friends, raising £250 for the charity.

“We have always supported them,” she says.

Walking is also helping Emma in her recovery after undergoing two hip arthroscopies. Despite being on an intensive physiotherapy programme she embarks on walks around Yorkshire with her family, and is documenting their strolling pursuits in a blog.

No doubt the charity challenge will also give her something to blog about when she embarks on the five day trek during which Emma will be savouring some magnificent sights as she walks over watchtowers, mountains and historic battlements.

“It looks so amazing,” says Emma.

Walking a range of distances over varied terrain, Emma could be trekking for up to eight hours a day.

She will also have to tackle 1,000 steps up to the wall at Mutianyu before ascending the ‘Heavenly Ladder.’ Her final mission will be helping to repair part of the wall at Badaling placing her own brick to help with the construction.

Dating back 2,300 years the Great Wall of China measures 21,196.18km and offers spectacular scenery including beautiful beaches and rugged mountains. In 1987 it was placed on the World Heritage Site list by UNESCO.

Now Emma is counting on people to support her in her challenge and help raise the profile, and boost funds, for The Ectopic Trust.

“If it raises awareness about the condition as well that will be brilliant,” says Emma.

To support Emma, or find out more, visit hip2trek.co.uk.