A DALE paramedic says she doesn’t know whether her latest fundraising challenge is exciting, crazy – or both, but hopes her derring-do will raise £1,000 for cancer care.
Last year Jennifer Todd, who works for the North East Ambulance Service, based in Barnard Castle, braved the shave last year, to support her friend who was diagnosed with cancer and raise more than £1,000.
This year, Ms Todd, who lives in Barnard Castle, is once again hoping to raise four figures to help the battle against cancer and decided to tackle her fear of flying at the same time.
On June 25, she will take to the skies above Circencester to perform a devilishly daring feat of wing walking.
She said: “The fundraising was such a success last year and while it is quite a thing to have your hair shaved off, I wondered what else I could challenge myself with.”
The idea came about while she and colleagues from both the fire and ambulance service were at a Christmas party.
She explained: “I just said the sky was the limit for ideas and then someone suggested I do a parachute jump.
“But I’ve already done one before and I thought I really wanted to challenge myself.
“I don’t particularly like flying but I thought wing walking is only going to be 15 minutes where I have to face my fears, whereas cancer patients are facing months, if not years, of facing up to treatment.
“So this will be a small thing to hopefully help give a bit of comfort to those patients.”
The money she raises from the sponsored wing walk will got towards purchasing new, comfortable chairs for patients receiving cancer treatment.
She added: “Chemotherapy is gruelling and tough.
“Sometimes its the little things like a more comfortable chair or room for a friend or partner to sit with you for the four to six hours that treatment takes that make all the difference.”
Her fundraising stunt is also part of the County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust’s charity challenge to get 2,020 businesses, groups and individuals to each raise £1,000 during the year to help fund much needed facilities.
Ms Todd has already roped in the help of her friend, Andrea Brydon, who will also be performing the challenge as part of her 40th birthday celebrations.
Ms Todd said: “I’m silly enough that I don’t like to back down from a challenge and I’ll have Andrea there with me. We won’t actually have to walk out onto the plane wing, but will be, fingers crossed, strapped on quite securely when it does barrel rolls and loops the loop.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation online to help her reach her target by visiting https://bit.ly/2-wSPPM.
Ms Todd has also put sponsorship forms at the emergency services quad hub, in Barnard Castle, which is open between 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday.
