A courageous member of staff from the South Eastern Trust has taken fundraising to the skies by leaping 10,000 feet from a plane in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, raising over £2,000 for the charity.
Domiciliary Care Worker Samantha Higginson from Lisburn, was diagnosed with Stage One Bowel Cancer in December 2024.
Statistics show how more than nine in ten people survive Bowel Cancer when it is diagnosed at its earliest stage.
Following her diagnosis and treatment, Samantha shared how she wanted to “pay it forward” and to find a way to give back to the Macmillan Cancer Unit and Ulster Hospital staff who cared for her.
Samantha explained, “Macmillan gives people with cancer everything they have got. If you are diagnosed, your worries are Macmillan’s worries,” said Samantha.
Samantha stated how she had surgery in January of this year and thanked all who looked after her before, during and after her procedure. “All the Doctors and Nurses on the ward, from the catering to cleaning staff, the work that they all do is impeccable. To them, the staff, it is just part of their job to carry out the surgery, but to me, they are life savers. They are angels in disguise.”
Now having completed her skydive, Samantha described her experience as initially, “a bit scary.” “Once the parachute opens you feel a bit more relaxed as you slow down. My skydive instructor was brilliant. The view of the scenery from that height was amazing, I could see the Black Mountain and the Sperrin Mountains. I would definitely do it all over again,” laughed Samantha.
Samantha continued, “I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read my story and contribute to my fundraising drive. I could not have done it without everyone’s help. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. It has been an amazing journey.”
