A Harrogate great-grandmother is on cloud nine after completing a 10,000ft parachute jump for charity.
Pat Smith did the skydive to celebrate the life of her late son, Jamie, raising money for three good causes that have not only touched her and her family’s lives, but thousands of others too.
The intensive care unit at Harrogate District Hospital, the Carers’ Resource and The Luke and Marcus Trust benefited from £900 that Pat raised from the daredevil drop she did alongside family members Lewis Gentle and Josh Westerman.
Back safely on terra firma at her home in Knaresborough, she said:
It was something that had always been on my ‘bucket list’ and seemed a fitting and positive way to remember and celebrate the life of Jamie.
It was an exhilarating experience that will always live with me – from preparing to leap out of the plane, to travelling the first 1,000 feet is just 6 seconds, to landing on the ground less than 15 minutes later.
The jump took place high above the blue and cloudless skies of County Durham and we were all treated to a bird-eye view of some of its finest landmarks.
Half the money raised will go towards supporting the work of the intensive care unit while the remainder will be shared between the two other charities.
Having been supported by the Carers’ Resource both before and after Jamie’s death, Pat is now working with the charity to take forward a new support group for those who have cared for, and then lost, a loved one.
Pat said:
From my own experience, and those of others I have met as a result, there is a real need in Harrogate for such a group – one that is focused on making it as positive as possible.
