Liam Davis and I are throwing ourselves out of an aeroplane at 7,500 feet to raise money for sufferers of amyloidosis - Sarah Wakenshaw's mam being one of them (more info on the condition at the bottom of this page). The skydive is on Friday 22nd July and we're looking to raise as much money as possible. All donations appreciated! Let's hope it doesn't turn out like this.... https://youtu.be/yKsAULWUuAM

Amyloidosis is a group of rare but serious conditions caused by deposits of abnormal protein, called amyloid, in tissues and organs throughout the body.

Proteins begin as a string of amino acids that fold themselves into a three-dimensional shape. This 'protein folding' allows them to perform useful functions within our cells.

Amyloid is a description of proteins which have folded abnormally and then collected together. In this form they do not break down as easily as normal proteins and can build up in tissues and organs.

If this build-up causes the tissues or organs to stop working properly, the resulting conditions are called amyloidosis.

The amyloid deposits occasionally only affect one part of the body (localised amyloidosis), but more often several different part of the body are affected (systemic amyloidosis), such as the heart, kidneys, liver, or nerves.

Without treatment to address the underlying cause, the amyloid deposits can eventually lead to organ failure and death – sometimes within only a year or two.