Brave friends plunge from sky in memory of Rugby teenager who died from rare form of cancer

Three brave friends from Rugby fell thousands of feet from an aeroplane in memory of a teenager who died from cancer.

Leanne Lightbody, Clair Townsend and Jess Hill, jumped from 13,000 feet at Hinton Airfield in Oxfordshire on Sunday.

They are raising money for Fred Bennett’s Don’t Look Down fund, a specially-named fund at Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) raising money for research into acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

Fred, 14, died in May 2020.

Since its creation in 2020, Don’t Look Down has raised over £66,000. This latest fundraising comes during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which runs throughout September.

Leanne, who knows the Bennett family as their sons play football for Hillmorton Football Club, said: “I messaged Fred’s mother Louise back in May to sign up and then there was no going back.

"I rallied two of my friends to sign up with me and I’m so glad I did as we managed to raise just over £2,000 for the charity.”

Fred's mother Louise with the skydiving friends.

She said the jump was “utterly terrifying”.

Leanne added: “At the same time, it was aan experience I will never forget.”

Clair agreed it was an amazing experience.

She said: “I still can’t believe I’ve actually jumped out of a plane.”

Jess said she is now looking forward to her next charity challenge.

“I can’t put into words how incredible it was,” she said.

"Who would have thought falling out the sky would be the best experience of my life.”

Louise paid tribute to the skydivers.

She said: “They were incredible. Fred would have been so impressed that they actually did it - it was stressful enough watching from the ground.

"We are so grateful to them for raising such an astonishing total too.”

Fred was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in July 2019. He received treatment at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UCHW and finally Great Ormond Street Hospital, where he died in May 2020.

To donate to the fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Leanne-Lightbody1