A woman from Beeston has raised over £700 by completing a skydive in support of Lymphoma Action. Emma Parker took to the sky with Skydive Langar near Nottingham on Monday 7 August, falling 14,000 feet to raise money for the only charity in the UK dedicated to supporting people affected by lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It is a cause close to her heart as sadly Emma lost her mum to lymphoma in June last year.
“My incredible mum fought follicular lymphoma for 12 years, and I watched her in complete awe throughout this time as she stoically clambered over each hurdle in her path” says Emma, 49. “When in periods of remission, she lived life to the full and loved her holidays with my dad and spending quality time with the rest of the family. She would always have a beautiful smile on her face – she was such a brave woman, and an amazing role model.”
“Mum was a dedicated supporter of Lymphoma Action, often helping to raise funds and awareness as she benefited greatly from their services” she continues. “The Charity was a tremendous source of information, and their support services enabled her to build a meaningful network with other people affected by lymphoma. She loved to regularly chat and email with her ‘online buddies’ offering her infinite knowledge and wisdom and receiving masses of support in return. I feel this gave her control and focus and I know she benefited greatly from feeling connected to others in a similar situation.”
“That’s why I wanted to challenge myself to be brave and face a fear to show my support to all of those incredibly brave folk living with lymphoma” says Emma. “I knew very little about follicular lymphoma until my mum was diagnosed, and I’m a registered nurse! Considering lymphoma is the UK’s fifth most common cancer, and most common type of blood cancer, spreading awareness and providing a means of support and information for people affected by the condition and their families is vital.”
“My advice for anyone wanting to take on a challenge to raise funds for such a great charity is ‘don’t hesitate – just do it!” adds Emma. “The team at Skydive Langar were fabulous and put me at ease. I absolutely loved the experience, and I am proud to say I did it with a smile on my face like my wonderful mum taught me. I would like to think she was watching over me, and possibly shaking her head in disbelief at her crazy middle-aged daughter!”
“We are so grateful to Emma for her support” says Amy Billington, Senior Fundraising Manager at Lymphoma Action. “Every 26 minutes one of us is diagnosed with lymphoma. Thanks to amazing people like Emma, we can continue to provide vital information and support to make sure no one has to face lymphoma alone.”
For further details on Lymphoma Action, please visit: https://lymphoma-action.org.uk/