Great-grandmother Miki Davies completed a 13,000ft skydive on her 71st birthday in memory of her son Tom, who was supported by Emmaus Hertfordshire.
Miki took the plunge at Beccles Airfield in Suffolk on 21 September, an especially poignant day as she shared her birthday with her late son Tom, who would have been 44 on the same day.
Tom sadly died five years ago, aged 39, following long-term alcohol addiction. He had been a resident in our St Albans community, where he had received care and support.
Miki said: “Tom lived there on and off a couple of times because sadly, due to addiction, he led quite a dysfunctional life. But when he was there, they did such a lot for him and gave him help when he needed it.
“Sadly Tom died on 4th July 2019 in London which was a huge shock. Emmaus helped Tom enormously, but he went back out and mixed with people he shouldn’t have been mixing with.
A “caring and loving” son
“He was a lovely son, very caring and loving. He loved Owen his son, and my other grandson Josh, he wanted the best for them, and he loved us. He liked coming home when he could. His son Owen will be 23 this year and lives with us.”
Commenting on the skydive, Miki said: “I was thinking about Tom and saying ‘Happy Birthday’ to him as I was floating down. He was with me in spirit.
“The only time I felt nervous was when I was on the edge of the plane and about to jump out, but there was no turning back. At the start it’s quite noisy as you’re falling through the air so quickly and there’s lots of wind rush. But as soon as the parachute opened it was so silent and peaceful. The views of the fields and sea below were incredible. It was a brilliant experience and I’m so glad I did it.”
Miki was supported on the ground by her proud friends and family including Tom’s son Owen, her grandson Joshua’s partner, Carmen, and their daughter Sienna (Miki’s great-granddaughter), along with husband Roger.
Miki said: “I’m raising money for Emmaus as they do amazing work for people who have experienced homelessness and addiction, helping them to get back into the community.”
“Inspirational woman”
Gemma Beckett, our Business Development Manager, said: “A huge thank you to Miki who was extremely brave to do a skydive at 71!
“She’s such an inspirational woman and a fantastic supporter, having dedicated her and Tom’s birthday to raising money for us every year for a long time, asking for donations in lieu of cards or gifts.
“It means so much to us that Miki is supporting us in memory of Tom, who was a much-loved member of our community and so sadly missed.”
The mum-of-two from Great Cornard, Suffolk, got the idea for a skydive after her grandson Joshua’s partner Carmen did a skydive at the same airfield to raise money for Ipswich Hospital’s neo-natal unit.
Her skydive was a thank you to the unit for caring for Miki’s great-granddaughter, Sienna, who was born prematurely and needed specialist care at the unit.
Miki, a former nurse and teaching assistant, said: “Sienna is now 10 months old. The staff were so good that Carmen wanted to raise money for them, raising over £1,000. Whilst watching, I thought ‘That looks good!”, so I thought I’d do it too.
“My husband bought the skydive for my birthday as a present, so I thought I would fundraise for Emmaus Hertfordshire again. I’m delighted to have raised over £2,000 for them.”
A “brilliant” experience
Miki also supported us last year on her 70th birthday, raising a huge £900 by asking for birthday donations to be made to us.
Miki’s hobbies and pastimes are usually a little tamer than jumping out of aeroplanes – she enjoys yoga, pilates, reading, crafting and gardening in her spare time, however, she enjoyed going outside her comfort zone for the jump, describing the experience as “brilliant!” as soon as she touched down.
Her daughter Sian, who lives in California with her husband and three children, was kept updated via videos and photos.
If you would like to donate, please visit Miki’s Go Fund Me page.
To watch the video of Miki’s skydive, click on this link from UK Parachuting, Beccles.
Credit: PA Real Life – watch news reel here
