A grandad bravely took to the skies – wingwalking for his local children’s hospice Claire House in memory of his great niece Izzy McEgan.
Eighty-two-year-old Alan McKie was strapped to the wing of a plane, stood up, before the plane reached speeds of more than 135mph.
So far, more than £7,000 has been raised for Claire House Children’s Hospice, which helps seriously and terminally ill babies, children and young adults.
Alan, from Helsby, said: “I really wanted to do something unique and challenging for Claire House and a wingwalk seemed like the perfect thing to do. It was really important to raise money for the hospice as they provided such vital care for Izzy and her family.”
Izzy, from St Helens, was working at Camp America in Summer 2019 when she was diagnosed with stage 4 renal cell carcinoma – a form of kidney cancer. She flew home to begin treatment, despite being told the condition was too advanced to be curable.
Alan said: “Claire House was involved in her care from the very beginning, providing 24-hour advice and support, counselling for Izzy and her parents, complementary therapies, hydrotherapy and even organising a backstage tour to meet the cast of her favourite show, Les Miserables.
“Due to the care and dedication of the Claire House care team, Izzy passed away peacefully at home in her own bed, surrounded by people who loved her. I wanted to fundraise in Izzy’s memory so that other local families can receive the care that our family did, and doing a wingwalk in my eighties seemed like the least I could do!”
Event Fundraiser Mark Pearson said: “Claire House only exists because of the incredible support of the local community and we want to thank Alan for doing a wingwalk, and also the amazing businesses and community who supported Alan with his fundraising.
“Because of people like Alan, our nurses can continue to be there for families in the hospice, on hospital wards and in our community, wherever they are needed.”
You can support Alan’s wingwalk here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/alan-mckie-1689859212787
