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Grandchildren take 10,000ft plunge with grandma's ashes
A GRANDMOTHER will posthumously achieve her skydiving dream when her two grandchildren jump from a plane - while carrying her ashes.
Northwood Hills resident Kate Jiggens, better known as Bess, decided she wanted to take the plunge after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
But when the skydive approached, on her 80th birthday, she was refused permission by doctors to jump. Her high blood pressure made it too risky, despite her protestations.
Sadly, Bess, from Ferndown, died before she could ever achieve her dream. So when grandchildren Karen and Kevin Ladham saw a chance to take part in a skydive, they literally jumped at the chance.
"She was absolutely gutted when she couldn't jump," Ms Ladham, 23, told the Gazette. "No one could give her the all clear, we went to different doctors.
"After she died last November we decided to raise money for Michael Sobbell Hospice, which was really good in caring for her.
"The chance came up to do a skydive and we decided to take her ashes with us."
Bess - described as "the best grandma in the world" - had previously completed Cancer Research's Race for Life in her wheelchair, twice.
Her grandchildren, from Ruislip Manor, will now jump from 10,000ft on May 7 at Hinton Airfield in Northamptonshire. To sponsor them, visit www.justgiving.com/Karen-Ladhams
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