10:20am Friday 27th June 2008
By Sarah Calkin
VERTIGO, a bad knee and arthritis would be more than enough to put most of us off jumping out of an aeroplane.
But not Kathryn Carroll, who will be doing the parachute jump to raise vital funds for the Prostate Cancer Charity.
The 52-year-old grandmother decided to take the leap of faith after her husband of 30 years Mike, 62, was diagnosed with the disease last October.
He has recently begun a course of radiotherapy and doctors say his prognosis is good.
Kathryn, of Park Road, Thundersley, said: "I decided I wanted to do something for the charity because through them doing research, my husband is going to be with me for another few years.
"But the jump will be the worst thing I will ever have done in my life."
Kathryn is paying for the parachute leap herself, so all the money she raises will go to the charity.
But she admitted she had never flown until five years ago, when she went to Tunisia with her husband to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
She said: "I was holding on to Mike and I didn't dare open my eyes for the whole flight. I was absolutely terrified."
Due to her arthritis and a bad knee which has left her almost entirely without the use of her left leg, Kathryn will be doing the jump strapped to a professional.
But it will also be something of a family affair as the couple's son Mike, 32, one of their five children and eight grandchildren, will jump with her in September She said: "All of our children have been wonderful over the past few months with helping us get to hospital and things, and the treatment at Southend Hospital couldn't be better.
"It is horrible when someone you love is diagnosed with such an illness and I just want to raise as much money as possible to help the charity with its work."
If you would like to sponsor Kathryn's parachute jump, call 01268 755164.
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