Kieran’s charity leap to honour brave teenager (From Worcester News)

Skydive will be in memory of family friend Emily Mayo

9:00pm Sunday 13th January 2013 in News

A WORCESTESHIRE teenager plans to leap from a plane later this year in memory of a family friend who died last year.
Kieran James, aged 17, plans to do the skydive in spring this year to honour Emily Mayo, who died aged 19 in September last year after suffering with Lymphoedema from the age of 12.
The two were friends from a young age and grew up in the village of Ashton-under-Hill, near Evesham.
“I wanted to do something like this for a cause before Emily died,” said Kieran. “As soon as I heard the news about Emily I decided to do it.
“Our mums are very close.
“My mum has told hers about what I am doing and she was really pleased.
“It was really sudden when she died, even though it was an ongoing illness.
“I had known her since I was tiny. Emily was someone who never let her illness get her down, she never complained, just got on with her life. Someone so full of life and laughter.”
Kieran is well on the way to reaching his fund-     raising target of £400 for the Lymphoedema Support Network and had more than £200 of donations in just one day.
He added: “I want to raise awareness of Lymphoedema. It’s a long-term illness that causes swelling in the body’s tissues, usually affecting the arms and legs.
“It’s painful and in some cases, causes loss of mobility.
“Emily lived life to the full, the only way I could match this energy would be to do a skydive to raise awareness of this illness, but also celebrate Emily Rose Mayo’s life.”
Visit justgiving.com/Kieran-James1 to support Kieran.