FUNDRAISING FOR A CURE
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Cancer patients from across the south, their clinicians and family members have raised more than £9,500 for charity PLANETS by leaping from Europe’s largest drop zone.
Seven people have taken part in tandem skydives for PLANETS Cancer Charity at SkyDive Netheravon, home of the Army Parachute Association, in Wiltshire over the past three weeks – jumping from just over 14,000 feet.
The Hampshire-based charity, which helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, abdominal (oesophageal and gastric) and neuroendocrine (NET) cancers, is now hoping to reach its £10,000 target before the weekend.
Among those who took to the sky was Sophie Hallett, 40, from the Isle of Wight, whose father Mick was a long-term NET patient of PLANETS co-founder Neil Pearce.
Mick and Mr Pearce both completed tandem skydives in 2014 before Mick’s passing and, in an emotional moment, Sophie discovered she was jumping with the same instructor her dad had.
Joining Sophie for this event was Mr Pearce’s wife Nikoletta, who reached over 120 mph and was in free fall for about 45 seconds.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Oliver Pike, nephew of PLANETS trustee Tori Caine who helped to organise the skydive fundraiser, jumped in honor of his grandparents after both received treatment from the PLANETS clinical team in recent years.
The final participant, Mr Ali Arshad, consultant hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeon and lead for robotic cancer surgery at University Hospital Southampton, will complete his jump as soon as weather allows it, having narrowly missed out on 2 occasions, prolonging the agony!
“We are so grateful to everyone who has participated and supported this wonderful and exhilarating event which has raised a significant and vital amount of money for our charity,” said Layla Stephen, director of strategy and finance for PLANETS.
“These funds go directly and immediately into providing support groups for our patients, funding innovative treatments and supporting vital research, so we cannot stress enough how important such activities are.”
Jo Green, director of operations and marketing for PLANETS, added: “Our fundraisers have done such a fantastic job in getting us so close to our £10,000 target but we remain just short so we are calling on people to gives us the last push we need to get us over the line.”
Mr Arshad said: “PLANETS is doing amazing work, supporting patients, funding research and helping introduce innovative treatments for cancer centres across the central south coast area.
“This year the charity has funded a robotic ultrasound probe that I use during cancer surgery and I’m hoping that we will be able to fund many more advances in cancer surgery with the money that we are continuing to raise.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/tandem-skydive for more information or to make a donation.
READ ABOUT HOW FUNDS ARE USED
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