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Losing both of our parents to cancer this year, within three months of each other has been tough to say the least.  The support from Macmillan caring locally , the home visits to mum and dad, and supportive phone calls and help with hospital admissions and even financial advice made those hard times easier for both my parents and the friends and family around them. 

On the 12th September, 20 members of our friends and family will be jumping out of a plane, in memory of those who we have lost to cancer. 

My mum and dad, Annette Vereenooghe and Bernard Vereenooghe were born in London in 1953. They fell in love and were married 15th September 1973 41 years before we plan to skydive.

 Dad whisked mum away for a romantic honeymoon in Poole. They enjoyed their time there so much that they decided to relocate to Bournemouth shortly afterwards to begin their married life. 

A happy family life followed and they had three children, Lucy, Chris and Lisa. Mum and dad also became foster carers and we were a house of safety to the local children in need,  Our house was always full of laughter and fun, a happy chaos.  They loved children, always putting their needs before theirs. At any one point there could be up to 9 children in our happy home :)

Mum became a SENCO, and had a passion working with disabled children. They eventually opened Bernets day nursery in Winton, a home-from home family run business.

They dedicated their lives to helping and caring for children.

In 2005, they fulfilled their dreams by buying a run down farmhouse in South France and renovating it to its former glory. Many happy times followed. We are happy they were able to spend some time here

In 2012 dads shocking diagnosis came. Prostate cancer, stage 4 terminal. He was given three months to live. Dad came home and started chemotherapy immediately in the hope it would prolong his life. The support from family and friends was amazing. Friends would turn up with bottles of dads favourite Cognac and chat about all the happy memories. He was referred to Macmillan caring locally. The nurses Debbie and Sharon would turn up every week to visit him, adjusting drugs under the advise of the doctor and enabling him to stay at home rather than be in hospital. Their support was invaluable, providing a listening ear to dad and all the family. Dad was able to spend time between his beloved farmhouse in France and Bournemouth, where he received treatment. 

We arranged a 40th wedding anniversary party for them on 15th September 2013. They came over from France and lots of family and friends turned up to show their support. Dad went down on one knee and renewed his wedding vows to mum before singing 'Honky-Tonk woman' to her. It was lovely.

Shortly after this, mum started to get a cough. We insisted she saw the doctor. The diagnosis was devastating. Lung cancer stage 4, terminal. The family could not believe it. Mum started treatment straight away. Due to her allergy to morphine, she was in a lot of pain. However, she was very popular on the ward, one of the ladies on the ward sayign that mum was a real inspiration to everyone. Even though she was very unwell, mum was still helping the other nurses on the wards, helping to make beds and making the other patients laugh. She was always smiling.  On the 2nd May 2014 she went into the Macmillan Unit, part of Christchurch hospital so they could adjust her medication as her pain levels were very high.  The staff on the Unit were fantastic. There is a beautiful garden there and visitors are allowed to come and go. There are lots of toys for the children and a Jolly Trolley for the patients who fancy a tipple! On the 4th May 2014 mum passed away, surrounded by family. We didn't expect her to die. Dad held her hand for the last moments.

We returned home and tried to come to terms with our grief. Dad wanted to visit their home in France, the place where he had so many happy memories with mum. He had so much support from friends and family at this time. Dads cancer rapidly progressed at this time. Friends showed amazing courage and support and flew to France. He was admitted into hospital in France and the decision was made to stop his drugs. 

My sister and I flew over to France to be with him. It was a shock when we arrived. His cancer had taken over, he was thin and frail and had deteriorated immensely in the three weeks since we had seen him last.

I phoned the Macmillan Unit in Bournemouth. They were amazing. They gave advice over the phone and booked a bed for dad back in the UK on Sandbanks Ward. Making sure everything was prepared for us when we arrived in the Uk.

Lucy found a private ambulance service to take dad from the hospital in France back to the UK. I made the 18 hour journey with dad, holding his hand all the way. 

On arrival in the UK, thanks to Macmillan Caring Locally, the ambulance was able to drop us straight at the hospital, onto Sanbanks ward, where they were waiting for dad. It was very apparent that dad was too poorly for treatment and we decided it was best he was transferred to the McMillan Unit in Christchurch to spend his final moments with family and loved ones.

Unfortunately, on the 4th August 2014, during the transfer from Bournemouth Hospital to the Macmillan Unit in Christchurch dad passed away. His family were waiting to meet him at the Macmillan Unit. He never made it there. It was three months to the day since his beloved wife, Net had passed away. We are happy there is no more pain and suffering and hope they are together now.

Friendly faces from Macmillan Caring Locally arrived to show their support and helped our family through the bereavement process

We are doing this skydive to raise money for this amazing charity. Cancer is unfortunately becoming quite prevalent and affects so many of us. Leap for Love as a team has lost love ones or been affected by cancer in some way. 

Macmillan Caring Locally were there for us from beginning to end. From the community nurses, the doctors, the physios to the volunteers, we can't thank you enough. We en-devour to raise  as much money as possible for Macmillan Caring Locally, we really don't know what we would have done without their support. The money raised will go towards helping to support other people fighting cancer.