FRIENDS Balaji Mannu and Santosh Naik are trusting an elderly Volvo to carry them thousands of miles around Europe to raise money for a charity that helps victims of a hidden blood disorder.

Balaji, 41, from Ramleaze, was diagnosed with a severe anaemia in 2017 because he suffered from severe fatigue and bone issues.

Balaji, who works for Nationwide, said: “It is not genetic, but in general men do not realize that they can also be affected by anaemia.

“For the last two years I suffered tiredness and bone issues but I ignored it as ageing.

“However, I was advised to take a blood test and found I was severely anaemic to the level that my bones were starting to get weak.

“Mine was developed due to internal stomach lining inflammation and my body was not absorbing iron.

“ It’s very rare that men recognise it, and this is my part to bring awareness.”

The friends, who set off from Swindon on Thursday, are raising money for the Congenital Anaemia Network, a charity supporting patients diagnosed with rare inherited anaemia, giving them the opportunity to meet other people going through the same issues. So far they have gathered more than £2,000 in sponsorship.

Santosh, a GP from Cardiff, is doing it for his 15-year-old son Adi who has Hereditary Spherocytosis, a rare congenital anaemia, characterised by abnormal shape of red blood cells.

The 41-year-old dad said: “My son and my family members do have this condition. My son and his maternal relatives have this condition. He had to be admitted on couple of occasions and needed blood transfusion. He has yearly follow up and  treatment from NHS consultants. The care provided by the paediatric haematologists and the nursing team have always been excellent.”

Santosh and his wife Divya found out about Adi’s disease by a blood test shortly after his birth.

The two friends will travel more than 2,700 miles through France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium in a 13-year-old Volvo V70 that cost them £2,000.

Santosh said: “We could have taken our BMW and have a nice luxury time, but we wanted to take up a challenge and save money.

“So, we are also going to be sleeping in tents, we are taking with us food from home. We are trying to save money as well as raising awareness. It’s something that will start making people think about it.”

Balaji added: “The old car is to make the trip interesting and also reduce the cost of travel and donate as much money as possible to the charity. If we are able to sell the car after our trip, the money will go to the charity.”

To support them visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/santhosh-kumar-krishna-naik