Hello everyone, thanks for reading this.

My name is Jack and I’m terrified of heights. It’s bad. I get a nosebleed on a thick carpet. On the 29th of May this year, I will be doing a tandem skydive over Salisbury Plain where I will be strapped to a (hopefully) very competent instructor and will jump out of a plane at 10,000 feet. The jump will involve 10 seconds of freefall, and a lot of tears and swearing.

Just before Christmas last year, my stepdad Jon suffered multiple bleeds on the brain after getting back from walking the dog. This aneurysm required a 10 hour emergency surgery which saved his life and - at the point of writing this in late March- he remains in hospital, receiving medical and therapeutic input to help him learn to walk and talk again. 

Each visit to hospital we are seeing more and more of Jon return, and me and my family could not be more grateful for all that the teams at Southampton General Hospital and Lymington Hospital have done. The staff have been incredible, especially in the context of the wider pressures on the NHS we are all aware of. From the neurologists who performed the surgery, to the consultants who oversee his rehabilitation; the physio and speech therapists who are getting his brain firing again, to the nurses who provide round-the-clock care. Each has been caring to a fault, empathetic, has guided Jon and our family through the process and has provided a port in a storm for us all.

I would love to use this skydive (something I really don’t want to do) as an opportunity to raise funds for the teams and unit that have supported Jon and us (something I really do want to do). The target of £1000 is arbitrary. In truth, any amount is going to have an impact, and will go direct to the Wessex Neurological Centre at Southampton General Hospital. 

It would be fantastic to have your support. 

Thanks for your time! 

Jack