Sister to skydive in memory of “inspirational” Norwich mum who lost cancer battle

Heidi Anderton, Steve Anderton and Megan Collingsworth who are to take part in a skydive in memory of Lorraine Hedges (Image: Archant)

Lorraine Hedges, 40, a mother-of-two, died at her St Mildred's Road home in West Earlham with her husband Adrian by her side in July 2011 – three years after first being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her sister Heidi Anderton, 38, brother-in-law Steve Anderton, 42, and niece Megan Collingsworth, 16, will all take part in a skydive at Beccles airfield on July 25 – the second anniversary of her death – to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research and Big C.

Mrs Anderton said although it will be a sad day they hope they can help celebrate her life and help the lives of others by doing something that Mrs Hedges herself had so wanted to do.

She said: 'What we want to try and do every year is to turn a sad day into a celebration of her life and raise money for other people.

'The main reason I'm doing it is because it's something Lorraine wanted to do for her 40th birthday.

'She asked the doctors if she could do it and they said no. I'm doing this for Lorraine because it's something she never got to do.'

Mrs Anderton, from Scarning, near Dereham, said she was petrified about the jump, particularly the free-fall, but would use her sister's memory to spur her on.

She said: 'It's something I don't really want to be doing but Lorraine went through three years of having to do stuff she didn't want to do.'

Mrs Anderton, her husband and niece Megan, who has just turned 16, have raised about £1,000 ahead of the jump but hope to be able to give as much money as possible to the two charities which help people, and their families, in their battle to survive cancer.

Log onto www.justgiving.com/Heidi-Anderton or www.justgiving.com/Megan-Collingsworth to find out more about sponsoring the skydive.