You know me, I don't like heights, I don't like organised fun, I don't like being strapped tightly to men and i can't grow a moustache. Because of this I have decided to do a skydive for charity (yes it is a little selfish because i get to do a skydive) and a great charity as well. The skydive takes place on the 17th July in the sky above Oxford so we haven't got much time to raise as much money as possible! My target is £500 (plus my personal donation of £185, so £685))

I found out about the charity through a work colleague and decided that this is where i would focus my fundraising as i had not been able to attend any of the great events friends and family had put on previously and believed this would be the best way for me to help. Below this rambling is Stellas story and reason why the need for me to raise as much money as possible exists so that she can continue to receive the therapy she desperately needs.

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Two-year-old Stella Rogers, who at just 17 months old, was diagnosed with a rare

type of cancer could be considered one of the lucky children despite all her suffering.

The regime to clear her cancer (taking up a quarter of her short life) has been a long

and truly brutal one, but so far she has fought her illness every step of the way and

her devoted parents have succeeded in taking her to the USA to obtain a lifesaving

antibody treatment that will stop her from relapsing.

‘Without this therapy our little girl will not survive,’ says mother Allison Hyde, a former

A&E Nurse. ‘Most of the children with this type of cancer do relapse and, in the UK

anyway, they are only offered palliative care.’

Allison, her partner John Rogers, friends and family have all been desperately

fundraising to raise the £250,000 needed to pay for the costly treatment, but despite

incredible efforts they had raised only £40,000 of their total as the deadline for the

start of treatment loomed. For antibody therapy to work, it is necessary for the patient

to start it no more than 100 days after a stem cell transplant (part of the regime to

clear the cancer).

Luckily for Stella, the neuroblastoma charity, 2simpletrust, stepped in to help. On

Tuesday Februrary 2, just a week before the deadline arrived, Stella and her family

found themselves on their way to the USA to start Stella’s treatment at the Children’s

Hospital of Philadelphia. The 2simple Trust provided an emergency, interest-free

loan for the deposit on the £250,000, thus giving the family’s fundraisers the chance

to carry on raising money throughout Stella’s six-month therapy as well as the time to

repay the loan and fund the rest of the treatment. This has meant that Stella has

been able to start the therapy at the point when it is most effective. So, unlike some

of the poor children afflicted with this terrible disease, she is fortunate to have a much

improved chance.

But there is still a lot of money to raise. The family’s website www.forstella.org details

all kinds of events that are going on from skydiving and marathon running to singing

and swimming, face painting and cake baking. Donations have ranged from £2 to

£5,000 and so many people have stepped forward to give their time. The youngest

fundraiser is just four years old.

‘If lots of people gave just a little,’ says Allison. ‘We can save our daughter, who has

shown that she has a true fighting spirit and so wants to live. We are so grateful to all

the many people who have made such a big difference. If it wasn’t for their support it

would have been difficult to get this far – and we have made it a very long way!’

Editor’s note: Antibody therapy is a revolutionary treatment, but has been available

in the USA, Canada and Australia for some time with proven results, raising life

expectancy for neuroblastoma sufferers from low (perhaps just 20% to 40%) to

something significantly better (perhaps 60% to 80%). With this therapy, antibodies

are injected into the blood stream and travel around the body attaching to any

neuroblastoma cells that they find. The body’s immune system can then identify the

cancer cells and attack and kill them.

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The cost of the skydive is £185 and normally this has to be raised by fundraising but i have decided to pay this myself so that all money that you guys give can go to Stella without paying for me to have fun.

Finally, even if you don't know me that well or don't want me to jump out of a plane please give generously as the money raised will be truly appreciated by me, Stellas family and most importantly Stella.

If you have any questions about the skydive or the charity please contact me and I will be more than happy to respond or provide you with contacts at the charity so maybe you could also plan a fundraising event!