In May 2022 I will be falling out of an aeroplane to do a tandem skydive from 13,500ft to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

In February 2019 my 15-year-old cousin was diagnosed with leukaemia. He was in and out of the Royal Marsden hospital for about 6 months receiving treatment and thankfully is now back to full health. The Teenage Cancer Trust helped to fund the ward that he stayed on while in hospital. This meant that there was a large family room which had TV screens, a PlayStation, some games, a fußball table and a very extensive collection of DVDs. When we went to visit him, I remember plugging his switch into the TV so he could, repeatedly, thrash us all at Mario Kart. These sorts of provisions provide a sort of escapism for teenage cancer patients to allow them to relax and have some down time with friends and family which is really important for their mental health and those around them. Also on the ward, there is a dark sensory room with twinkly lights which was a nice quite area and there is also a kitchen designated to the ward for patients and their families to use.

More generally, Teenage Cancer Trust helps to fund 28 specialist units across the whole of the UK to support young people aged between 13 and 24. This is really important because it hopefully means that the young people don’t have to travel to the other side of the country to get the specialised treatment they need. At all of these units, there are some funded social facilities as well as some specialist nurses who understand how to specifically support teenage patients and meet their needs.

My initial fundraising target is £500, however £175 of this will go towards funding the skydive so if possible I would like to reach £675 so that the full £500 can go to this amazing charity. Any amount you can donate would be greatly appreciated and please feel free to share this with your friends and family! I will hopefully be getting the skydive filmed so I will make sure to share that embarrassment afterwards 😊!