Doncaster Teen takes to the sky for charity

They say the sky's the limit - but not for brave teenager Megan Hancock who will jump from a plane to raise money for charity after three of her grandparents died from cancer.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Jan 2016, 05:00 BST
Megan Hancock, of Mexborough, is doing a skydive in memory of her grandparents.Megan Hancock, of Mexborough, is doing a skydive in memory of her grandparents.
Megan Hancock, of Mexborough, is doing a skydive in memory of her grandparents.

Megan Hancock, 17, of Mexborough, is taking on the UK’s highest tandem skydive in June to raise money for Sheffield’s Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity after her grandparents received treatment there.

Grandad Eddie Welsh died 20 years ago after a battle with colon cancer which spread to his kidney and then spine.

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Megan’s grandmother Katie died of kidney cancer eight years later.

Both spent their final weeks in Weston Park Hospital.

This double tragedy also followed the death of Megan’s other granddad Edward to throat cancer when he was aged just 49.

Megan said she wanted to do something significant to remember her lost relatives and to say thank you to the hospital staff who cared for them.

The Mexborough School pupil said: “All the staff at Weston Park Hospital were brilliant with both my granddad and gran.

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“I remember feeling like I was too young to say thank you at the time but now I’m older, I want to do all I can to show how grateful we were and still are to this day.

“I decided to take on the skydive to support the hospital’s dedicated charity and raise as much money as possible.

“I’ll be jumping on the cancer charity’s dedicated jump day where others with similar reasons will also take to the skies in support of this incredible hospital.”

She added: “The skydive will take me completely out of my comfort zone but I wanted to do something extreme to raise awareness and money for the hospital and charity.”

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Megan will leap from a plane at 15, 000 ft and reach speeds of up to 120mph before her instructor deploys the parachute.

She has so far raised £80 towards her target of £150.

Fundraisers at Weston Park Hospital are urging other people to follow Megan’s lead and take part in The Big Jump, which takes place at an airfield in Hibaldstow, Lincolnshire, on Sunday, June 12.

To support Megan and donate to the cause visit her JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/Megan-Hancock/

To find out more about taking on The Big Jump for Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity visit www.thebigjump.org.uk

Related topics:MexboroughSheffield