Daredevil Shrewsbury mum in leap to make son Lloyd proud

For just six months ago, he had died of a rare form of cancer, which ultimately led to him being paralysed from the neck down.

And the mum of three was dreading the day Lloyd, from Shrewsbury, should have turned 12.

So she decided to do something that would have made him proud.

She flung herself thousands of feet out of a plane and, as she hurtled towards the ground, she raised hundreds of pounds for charity.

And her daughters, Issy, 13, and Hannah, 16, were waiting for her when her feet touched the ground at Tilstock Airfield near Whitchurch.

Di, 49, said: "I needed something to focus on. It would have been his birthday on September 3. He would have been 12 and going in to secondary school so I was keen to do something that would take my mind off it. I decided to do my jump on September 5.

"While skydiving wasn't on my bucket list I know it would have been on his. He loved that sort of thing and I know he would have told me it was awesome."

And while Di dressed for her trip she tucked a photograph of Lloyd inside her jumpsuit.

"It was almost like we were doing it together," she said.

"I decided back in May that it was what I was going to do and since then I have been fundraising. It has been very important for me to focus on targets and goals to help me get through the past few months."

Di's jump was to raise money for the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group which offered herself and her family so much support during the time Lloyd was ill.

"There are some charities which are there at the forefront but Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group is in the background but does very important work," said Di.

"We had so much literature from them during the time Lloyd was in hospital but it was a charity we hadn't really heard of. So that is why I decided to raise funds for them by doing my jump. It was my way of saying 'thank you'.

"I also hope that my jump will help to raise awareness of the need to diagnose childhood cancer early.

"Lloyd was well known and if I can use his name to get the message out then I have achieved something. I have received a lot of messages from his friends which have given me a lot of support.

"I have achieved quite a lot with doing this skydive. I have raised £1,200 and I have done something that has made my daughters proud and I know Lloyd would have been proud too."

During his short life Meole Brace Primary School pupil Lloyd helped to raise cancer awareness by taking part in the Stand Up to Cancer campaign on Channel 4.

He also met David Beckham, Jose Mourinho and Alan Carr and was a mascot at Shrewsbury Town Football Club and at an England football game.