I wanted to raise money for The Hospice of the Valleys for the dedication and support they gave my grandparents.
My nan was diagnosed with bone cancer that was secondary to breast cancer which had gone undiagnosed. It was a terminal diagnosis but my nan didn’t let it stop her and she continued to enjoy going to her crochet club, on days out with friends and on holidays.
My nan and grandpa would attend the Hospice every Tuesday morning to join other couples/families going through similar things to chat, share thoughts and feelings whilst enjoying tea,coffee and cakes. There would also be holistic therapies, quizzes (that my nan particularly enjoyed) advice and care on offer.
During the last couple of months of my nan’s life the Hospice provided support, therapies, care and managed a lot of the arrangements to ensure my nan could stay at home as she wished.
My nan kept enjoying life right until the end and was my inspiration to complete a tandem skydive in aid of the Hospice of the Valleys.
I was a little nervous but mostly excited to do the skydive, it was a beautiful day to do it – I’m convinced my nan made sure it was for me.
My instructor was great and put me at ease, after a briefing and prep we were getting on the aeroplane, next thing I knew we were at 12,000ft and getting ready to jump! The first 20 secs were exhilarating – the wind took my breath away, we were freefalling towards earth but the rush was amazing! My instructor opened the parachute – thank goodness it opened lol – and everything calmed down, he allowed me to control the direction we went for a short while. The view’s were amazing, looking over the Gower coast. As I got nearer to the ground I could see my girlfriend and family waving and supporting me. I thought the landing may hurt a little but no, my instructor brought us down so softly I could have been sitting on a sofa!
It was one of the best experiences of my life so far and I am so pleased I was able to raise over £515 for Hospice of the Valleys in memory of my nan Cynthia Seward.
Daniel Seward
If Daniel’s story has inspired you, and you think you can jump out of a plane you can find out more about how to sign up HERE
