Daughter of care home resident skydives for dementia charity despite being 'scared of heights'

The daughter of a care home resident in Taunton has managed to raise £2,340 for the Alzheimer’s Society after she jumped out of a plane at 10,000ft, despite being “scared of heights”.

Cheryl Clavey, who is the daughter of Oake Meadows care home resident Cedric Lewis, was inspired to raise the money by her dad, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s seven years ago.

Her father Cedric currently lives at Oake Meadows, which is based on Wyvern Road, where he receives specialist support and personalised care programmes. The home is registered to care for 105 people and provides day and respite care for a variety of residents, including those living with dementia and learning disabilities.

Cheryl Clavey said: “I wanted to do something special for a cause which is very close to my heart. I decided to do this skydive, as it’s something which is definitely out of my comfort zone. I am scared of flying and I am also scared of heights so I had a few sleepless nights thinking about it!

“Dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s is one of the hardest things people will ever have to deal with. My dad was diagnosed with this awful disease seven years ago and it has been a pain that I can’t describe. I wanted to raise as much money as possible so that we can help prevent people from going through experiences similar to mine.”

She added: "I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Oake Meadows care home for the care they have given my father. I would also like to thank those who made donations for their generosity. Our work has not only helped us meet the initial target of £500 but has helped raise over £2,300. It is an amazing achievement."

Louis du Toit, activities coordinator at Oake Meadows, called Cheryl’s fundraising skydive “truly astonishing” and said: “We were humbled and amazed at the lengths she went to for this worthy cause and her contribution will make a massive difference to the research and work done in the fight against Alzheimer's and Dementia. Cheryl is a special woman and has always been very supportive and grateful for the care received by her dad at Oake Meadows.”

Oake Meadows forms part of Larchwood Care and is currently managed by Healthcare Management Solutions.

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