Animal assistant from Lakenheath with ‘massive fear of heights’ raises over £4,000 as money goes to Mama B’s and Macmillan Unit at West Suffolk Hospital
A 19-year-old animal care assistant from Suffolk with a ‘massive fear of heights’ helped to raise more than £4,000 after a charity skydive.
Chloe Lucas, from Lakenheath, carried out the leap of faith from 13,500ft at Beccles Airfield last month resulting in her raising £4,032 for the MyWish charity.
The money has gone to the Mama B’s initiative and the Macmillan Unit at the West Suffolk Hospital.
Chloe took on the challenge on an ‘impulse’ after her mum Carole had been treated for breast cancer at the hospital in Bury St Edmunds.
The pair support Mama B’s, a cancer wellbeing day at Stephen John Hair Salon in Bury on the first Monday of each month, where women can enjoy therapies such as oncology massages, manicures, make up lessons and reflexology as well as talk to hairdressers about their wigs or as their hair grows back.
Carole is now cancer free but Chloe wanted to help support both the hospital and Mama B’s to thank them for the amazing care and support they had given her mum.
She said: “My mum’s breast cancer journey has been going on for the past two years and Mama B's and the Macmillan Unit have been a large part of this journey and I wanted to give something back.
“I have a massive fear of heights and I just said I would do the skydive on an impulse.”
Chloe, a former student at West Suffolk College who now works for a veterinary practice in March, said she had a lot of support from family and friends in raising the money and publicised her daring stunt on the Just Giving social media site.
Her boyfriend Jack Betts, from Dereham, helped with the fundraising along with her grandparents Glenn and Anita Sutton, also from Lakenheath.
Chloe said: “I had a lot of anxiety before the skydive and did not get much sleep the day before.
“You sit on the edge of the door of the plane with the person you are jumping with and then you are out and falling and the one thing you notice is the wind against you.
“We were freefalling for about 50 seconds and I was told I was as white as a sheet coming into land but it was fun.”
Sally Daniels, fundraising manager for My WiSH, said: “Chloe was so brave and the total she raised is just staggering.
“Mama B’s is a special day and Steve and I are so pleased that we can offer this service to ladies like Carole.
“Our Mama B volunteers are amazing and we couldn’t do it without them. This donation will allow us to do even more, so thank you to everyone who donated.”
