A student from Droitwich has celebrated his 18th birthday by taking on a daring skydive in memory of his grandfather to raise money for St Richard’s Hospice.
On Saturday 25th October, Toby McDowell, who attends Droitwich Spa High School & Sixth Form Centre, launched himself from a plane at 13,000 feet and plunged safely back to earth. His intrepid adventure has raised over £2,000 so far for the local hospice that cared for his grandfather, Peter Thomas, who died earlier this year aged 74.
Toby said; “My granddad, or ‘Damps’ as we called him, was cared for at the end of his life by St Richard’s Hospice. Words cannot describe the love and care they provided for the whole family. You only have to walk into the building to know it’s a very unique and special place. Their work is invaluable – they really did give Damps quality of life and dignity in death and they are always there with support for the rest of the family for as long as we need them – it is not time-limited in any way.
“I wanted to do something a bit special to celebrate my 18th birthday. As my granddad’s birthday is also in October, I decided to take on this challenge in his memory and raise some money for St Richard’s as a way of saying thanks for their compassion and support. My whole family is keen to support the hospice to show our appreciation for the care we received and to help ensure that they can continue to be there for other families who will no doubt need them.”
To make a donation to Toby’s fund visit www.justgiving.com/Toby-McDowell