It is now five years since I lost my wonderful husband to a very rare liver cancer, which in a matter of months took him from a big bear of a man to less than half his weight and weak as a kitten.  Up to the last week of his life, he was so positive and whilst bed bound, still having lots of visitors, especially his children and grandchildren whom he loved dearly.  No matter how ill he became in those last days, his beautiful blue eyes never lost their sparkle.   He was adamant he did not want to go into hospital or a hospice and it was Macmillan who made this possible.  Whilst I stayed home to nurse him day and night, specialist nurses were constantly on hand to assist with the special medication and our Macmillan Nurse Practitioner was available to me 24/7.   The Macmillan team did everything possible to make his last months and especially his last weeks as bearable as possible.  Not only were they there for John but also a great source of comfort for me and our children.  At 10.21 on the 7th November, 2013 after having had our children with him all day, he passed peacefully in my arms in his own bed just as he had wished.  Even afterwards, Macmillan were still available to me and my family and continued to be so, for as long as we needed them.

In order to try and give a little back, I am now a Macmillan Ambassador and visit schools, workplaces etc., to raise awareness about Macmillan and their fundraising.   Whilst I raise funds by holding a coffee morning every September, I feel I need to do something John would be proud, if not flabbergasted, to see me do.  This is why at the age of 64, I have decided to fly to a height of 15,000ft and launch myself out of a plane, coming back down at a speed of up to 120mph.   Obviously, I will be strapped to a very experienced  (I hope) instructor and will, therefore, be in very safe hands (again, I hope).

So, in memory of a very brave and inspiring man, who lived his life for his family and who would be first in line to help anyone, I am asking you to make my 'death defying leap' (dramatic I know, sorry) worthwhile and raise much needed funds for Macmillan, so they can help other families just as they did mine in our darkest of days.

Any  donations you make will go entirely to Macmillan and can be gift-aided, if you are a UK tax payer, as I will be funding the jump myself.

Thank you so much for supporting my fundraising. Macmillan Cancer Support is here to help everyone with cancer live life as fully as they can, providing physical, financial and emotional support. So, whatever cancer throws your way, we’re right there with you. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to Macmillan. Making it the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.