WE DIVED AND SURVIVED
Page creator: Stephanie Pywell
Page closes: 13th Oct 2008
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Steph and Steve falling fast
About the charity : The Institute of Cancer Research & Everyman The Institute of Cancer Research & Everyman
1 in 3 people will suffer some form of cancer during their life. The Institute of Cancer research is the only UK charity directly involved in every stage of research to combat all cancers. Alongside their pioneering work in breast and lung cancers they run the Everyman Campaign to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer and funds for Europe's first and only centre dedicated to their research.
Charity Registration No icr(exempt)
Fundraising target:  £1,000.00
Donations so far:  £ 1,314.50
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We did it!

On Wednesday 11 June, aided and abetted by two strong and capable men, we plummeted head-first from a light aircraft two miles above the earth ... and we have lived to tell the tale. Thanks to the generosity of our family and friends, we have also helped to  enrich two charities whose work helps people to survive cancer.

The evidence is on the left. If you click on any one of the small photos (which were randomly selected by a cybermachine over which I appear to have no control at all), you go to a Flickr page where, on the right, you can click into a file called "The Evidence! (Set)". If you click on "browse" at the bottom of that set, then on "Detail" at the top left of the next page, you can see all the photos, in the correct order. If you knew all this already, sorry for wasting your time: I can only assume that your brain was not recently subjected to a G-force beyond the wildest imagination of the average 50-year-old.

Thankfully, we quickly got into the stable face-to-ground position, which instructors rather whimsically liken to "lying on a bed of air", and travelled at 125 mph through the icy atmosphere and a layer of cloud. 

 

About 45 seconds later, we were jolted unceremoniously into a vertical position as our parachutes opened. From that point, we had about seven minutes of being suspended in space, not feeling as though we were moving at all, but conscious that things on the ground (including, of course, Barry, who has more sense than both of us put together) were getting gradually larger.

 

Alison and her minder, Gary, landed on their feet – his quickly followed by hers. Steph and Steve landed on their respective posteriors, though his hit the ground first, and she was delighted to find herself – legs inelegantly splayed but all bones intact – between his polyester-clad legs.

 

Our 8-minute adventure involved our being out of the house for 13 hours and an unprecedented amount of cloud-watching and wind-assessing.

 

We both thought it was an amazing, fantastic, wonderful experience, though neither of us wishes ever to repeat it.

 

As you will know if you have visited our pages before, we aimed to raise at least £1,000 to help more people to survive cancer. We have already received just over £2,000, excluding Gift Aid. If nothing else, this project proves that we know some fantastically kind and generous people: if you are one of them, thank you very much.

 

If you haven't yet sponsored us, we would be really grateful if you would donate to either or both of two charities:

 

If you would like to donate to the Institute of Cancer Research, please use this page.

 

If you would like to donate to the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit at UCLH, please use this link.

 

If you would like to donate half your money to each charity, please make a separate entry on each page - that would be brilliant!

 

We chose these two charities because Barry has now been in remission for over a year from the fast-growing and very rare form of lymphoma that he was diagnosed with in November 2006. We owe his life to the researchers who discovered the "magic bullet" part of his chemotherapy, and to the outstanding medical and nursing care that he received in the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Unit at University College Hospital, London while his immune system was temporarily destroyed by the chemo.

 

We booked our jumps direct with the airfield to save on costs. Barry paid the full cost of Steph's jump, and Ali paid £50 (just over one week's Student Loan!) towards hers. £115 was used to pay for the balance of Ali's jump, and all the rest of the funds raised will go direct to the two charities.

 

This is the official bit: "Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor us: The Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research Unit, UCLH, will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you."


Thank you very much for your support.

With best wishes from two exhilarated and exhausted women,

Steph and Ali

Display Name Date Amount Tax Bonus  Comment
Laura & family 09/07/2008 £10.00 n/a Well Done! Sorry it's taken me a while to donate - I have an excuse though, called Robert! :) 
Sandra Joseph 03/07/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Still cannot believe you did it! Sorry it has taken me so long to dip hand into pocket and retrieve sum to add to total. Well done again! 
Helen and John 18/06/2008 £10.00 £2.82 Congratulations 
Bernard & Beverly Bills 15/06/2008 £10.00 £2.82 Well Done. You made it! 
Sylvia Grice 14/06/2008 £25.00 n/a Hehe, amazing, well done :) Especially when it's so close to Father's Day. So glad your Dad's been i 
Luke Pinkstone 12/06/2008 £10.00 £2.82 Congratulations!! Happy to donate to such a worthy cause!  
Pauline & Kevin Banks 10/06/2008 £25.00 n/a Good Luck to You Both enjoy the scenery if you can keep your eyes open!!! 
Lisalou & Deniseypoo 10/06/2008 £20.00 £5.64 All the very best Steph... We will be thinking of you :o) 
rose 09/06/2008 £25.00 £7.05 hope to see you at dancing in one piece 
Heather Smith 09/06/2008 £10.00 £2.82 How could you do this to your sister! (ps thanks for loan of the carpet cleaner) 
Julian Bates 02/06/2008 £5.00 £1.41 Happy landings! 
Sheila & Scott 31/05/2008 £50.00 £14.10 Best of luck 
Malcolm & Kath 29/05/2008 £50.00 £14.10 This confirms the extent of your madness. Happy landings 
Jenny Rhodes 29/05/2008 £5.00 n/a Maybe you should drink some Red Bull, I've heard it gives you wings! x 
Helen Rhodes 29/05/2008 £7.50 n/a Half and half to two great causes, HAPPY JUMPING! Much love x 
Morag Hiskett 24/05/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Reach for the skies, Steph! 
Anne, Peter, Ella & Becky 19/05/2008 £20.00 £5.64 You're free to enjoy the first 9999 ft 11" - It's just the last inch you need to worry about :) 
jen and derek 18/05/2008 £30.00 £8.46 We won,t say break a leg! have a great time and enjoy the view.Well done on setting your sights high in your fundraising adventure. 
Clare Richmond 09/05/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Glad you checked the stats Steph! 
Hazells 08/05/2008 £25.00 £7.05 Wow, what an amazingly crazy thing to do. Must be the best theme park ride ever. A great way to celebrate! 
Stockbridges 07/05/2008 £25.00 £7.05 "If at first you don't suceed - so much for skydiving!" Good luck and have a great day. 
Michael 04/05/2008 £30.00 £8.46 I know you Pywells have big hearts ... it will be a stroll in the park! 
Janice Ian Little 04/05/2008 £20.00 £5.64 I hear it can be fun but anm yet to be convinced so hope to get positive fedback from you's two!!! It will be fun!! A great cause good luck. 
Liz McElwain 01/05/2008 £15.00 £4.23 Good luck to you both. What an amazing experience. 
Katie 30/04/2008 £5.00 n/a I'd like to pay you more, but this is all I can give for now! Best of luck, it'll be amazing xx 
Katherine 29/04/2008 £5.00 £1.41 Good luck to you both. x 
Claudia Lewin 27/04/2008 £15.00 n/a Best of luck to both of you. I hope you enjoy the ride! Safe landing xx 
Tony and Jen 25/04/2008 £15.00 £4.23 Bon chance! 
Lucy Crompton 24/04/2008 £10.00 £2.82 I'm sure it'll turn out to be fun, honest! 
Danielle Norman 24/04/2008 £5.00 £1.41 Good Luck!! 
Jane and James 22/04/2008 £20.00 £5.64 What a buzz you're going to have - the jump as well as raising your target. Good luck. 
Christine and Tony 21/04/2008 £50.00 £14.10 You're both very brave - and just a little bit mad. Hope it's an exciting event and that you land lightly and set down safely! Enjoy your adventure. 
Sarah Bailey 21/04/2008 £10.00 £2.82 Willing to donate more if I get to see video footage...Actually, that may be priceless! Good luck Steph and Ali x 
John & Ruth 19/04/2008 £10.00 £2.82 Good luck, rather you than me! 
Jenny Pelling 18/04/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Always thought you were a high flier. Best of luck. 
Tim 17/04/2008 £50.00 £14.10 Good luck. Remember it is not the jump that hurts but hitting the ground at the end ... 
Jill 17/04/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Be careful; you may develop a taste for it. Bungee jumping, anyone? 
Hilary Tucker 17/04/2008 £20.00 £5.64 Good luck to you both! 
Linda Z 17/04/2008 £10.00 £2.82 good luck, rather you than me! 
Andrew and Deirdre 16/04/2008 £25.00 £7.05 We'll be listening for the sonic boom! Happy landings! 
Nigel 13/04/2008 £50.00 £14.10  
Paul and Nigel 13/04/2008 £50.00 n/a I always knew I was not the only mad one in the family! Good luck! 
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*Total donated online: £877.50
Amount raised offline: £437.00
Gift Aid plus supplement: £207.31
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