A BRAVE mother who jumped out of a plane in memory of her son is hoping to save lives by raising thousands of pounds for charity.
Cheryl Bird, of Holborn Hill in Millom, took part in a sponsored sky dive on Saturday in memory of her son, Andrew, who died in September last year.
The 48 -year-old embarked on her challenge to raise money to install more defibrillators across Millom and Haverigg, in addition to giving a donation to Haverigg Inshore Rescue, and hopes her actions will help save the lives of other people in her community.
She said: “Nobody could save Andrew that night but if I can save at least one person’s life then it will be worth it. At least another family wouldn’t have to go through what we’ve been through.
“These services are vital and should never have to rely solely on charitable donations.
“They are life savers.”
In a quest to install as many as possible, she decided to take on the skydive to raise even more money for the cause.
She said: “I’m still at 12,000 feet. It was absolutely amazing.
“I was terrified at first but then I realised I was at the point of no return.
“I’ve never even been in a plane before but when I got up there the views were amazing. I saw Blackpool Tower, Lake Windermere and Morecambe Bay.
“I’m glad I did it for Andrew.”
Andrew Bird, 27, died in September last year after falling into the river at Haverigg.
Since his death, Mrs Bird has been raising money in his memory and has already unveiled one defibrillator outside Haverigg Working Men’s club.
She said: “I know he would be proud of me. I think he was the one pushing me out of the plane!
“When I was up there I was thinking about him. I even took a picture of him up with me and tucked it inside my clothes.
“Andrew would have known exactly what the views were like because he was there with me.”
Amazed by the support she’s received from the community, Mrs Bird wanted to thank everyone who has donated and supported her and her family over the past 11 months.
She said: “I just want to thank everyone who has supported me, John, Simon and Jessica; from family, friends and the whole community.
“It’s a fantastic community; when one of our own is down we all stick together.”
Read more about Andrew:
Community unveils defibrillator in memory of young Millom man
Death of Millom man with Asperger's who drowned in South Cumbria river is a mystery
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