Cambois mother's skydive fundraiser in honour of son, 15

The mother of a teenager who died of a brain tumour completed a skydive despite being afraid of heights.

Clair Todd took the leap with other grieving mothers to raise money for cancer research in honour of her son Connor who died in 2021 aged 15.

The 48-year-old of Cambois in Northumberland said the dive in Peterborough was "exhilarating".

She said the skydiving mothers faced their fears to raise money for better cancer treatments.

Connor, a keen rugby player, was diagnosed with Medulloblastoma in 2019 and underwent months of gruelling treatment including chemotherapy and surgery. He died in October 2021.

The eight Angel Mums, who all lost children to brain tumours, have raised almost £66,000 out of a target of £100,000 for the Tessa Jowell Foundation which fundraises to improve research and treatments.

The team carried out the jump at Sibson Airfield from 13,000ft (396m).

Mrs Todd said: "I was petrified so I went first as I didn't want to watch the others jump. It was so cold but exhilarating and as I fell I felt calm.

"We were freefalling for about 30 seconds until the parachute opened and it was hard to breathe. When we landed there was a rainbow and we felt our children were with us."

Seven months before his death Connor challenged himself to walk the equivalent of a marathon over a month and raised £18,000 for charity.

"When he was doing the walk one day he said he couldn't do it, he was too tired and crying," Mrs Todd said.

"He then asked himself: 'Can I take one more step?' and he said the answer was always yes.

"The last two years have been very emotional, up and down. We've all had to find a new normal and I'm not sure we ever will.

"The Angel Mums have all lost our children to brain tumours and we wanted to help families in the future. It's too late for our families but it might not be too late for others.

"The treatments Connor was on were at least 50 years old. He was on drugs designed for adults. There aren't treatment options in this country that are good enough."

The foundation was set up in honour of former Labour cabinet minister Dame Tessa Jowell who died aged 70 in 2018.

She died of Glioblastoma Multiforme, one of the most common and deadliest brain tumours. Three in four people diagnosed with this type die within a year.

Brain cancer is becoming more common, and the UK has one of the lowest survival rates in Western Europe.

About 400 children die in the UK of brain tumours every year, according to the foundation.

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