A man used a little girl's brain tumour as inspiration to cut down on snacks and booze - so he was light enough for a charity skydive. Sam Allen lost 3st 9lbs - 20% of his bodyweight - to help Dakota-Marie Cole, nine.
The youngster was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 and will need hospital treatment for the rest of her life. Sam, from Stoke-on-Trent met Dakota-Marie and her family by chance in a local pub. And, after deciding he wanted to help out, he realised he had to drop the pounds so he could leap out of a plane.
Teaching assistant Sam, 33, then ditched cider - his favourite tipple - and hit the gym. And he completed a sponsored skydive on Saturday (10/6) - describing it as a "brilliant experience".
Sam said: “I met the family in the pub when they were new to the area a few years ago. I was moved by what Dakota-Marie had been through in her short life.
“I could have made a donation to the charity and be done with it but I thought to myself, if she can go through all that, the least I can do is throw myself out of a plane.” Sam, who is 6ft 1in, weighed 18st 7lbs at his heaviest.
He’d piled on the pounds after indulging in snacks and alcohol. But he cut down on cider as well as joining a gym and changing his diet.
Now, he weighs just 14st 12lbs. Sam took part in the 10,000ft jump at the weekend - and managed to raise £805.
He said: “It was a brilliant experience; I would love to do it all over again. When I landed, I was greeted by a huge hug from Dakota-Marie, and we were both grinning ear to ear.
“I think our smiles lasted all day and she is keen to take on a skydive when she is old enough.” Since her diagnosis, Dakota-Marie has undergone 10 hours of surgery followed by intense proton beam therapy which saw the family temporarily relocate to America for two months.
She was diagnosed with an ependymoma eight years ago after weeks of vomiting. Regular scans have shown no evidence of active cancer.
However, the family faces the reality that Dakota-Marie will remain under life-long care as there is currently no cure for the disease.
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s terribly sad to hear about Dakota-Marie’s diagnosis and we wish her well in her ongoing scans. The fact that she is living with life-changing side effects demonstrates the complexity of this disease.
"Her story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age. We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.
"We’re really grateful to Sam for taking on this challenge and wish him the best of luck on the day.”
To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Sam’s Jump for Hope, please visit here.
