Hessett, near Bury St Edmunds, widow Lindsay Charlson to skydive in Beccles carrying husband’s ashes

A widow will jump out of a plane carrying her husband’s ashes in honour of her brother with a terminal brain tumour.

Lindsay Charlson, of Hessett, near Bury St Edmunds, is gearing up to skydive from 10,000ft at Beccles Airfield on June 10, as part in the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Jump for Hope scheme.

The 47-year-old, who works as a packing operative at Deben UK in Woolpit, revealed she will complete the challenge in honour of her brother, Jamie Marsden.

Lindsay said skydiving had been on her bucket list for a while, and she will carry her husband, Edward’s – who worked in Bury St Edmunds and died after a serious head injury last year – ashes with her when she takes the plunge.

Lindsay said: “I didn’t know brain tumours existed until Jamie fell ill with one. It’s too late to save his life but I want to do what I can to help advance research and give others more time, so they don’t have to suffer like we are.

“Every time I see Jamie, it just breaks my heart. I can’t imagine what he’s going through.

“Until you’re in the thick of this disease, you don’t realise how debilitating it is, or how it takes over the life, not just of the patient, but of everyone around them.

“The more I can raise to help find a cure, the better. I just feel so bad for everybody going through this.”

Jamie is a former support worker and firefighter from Great Harwood, Lancashire, and was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligoastrocytoma after he suffered a seizure in 2003.

Since then, he has undergone a craniotomy, two debulking surgeries, internal radiotherapy treatment, high-dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Despite all these treatments, his tumour continued to grow, and is now incurable.

Lindsay said he was always full of life, spending many of his younger years renovating cars or computers with friends.

Before his tumour, she described him as a ‘typical young lad’, mischievous when he wanted to be.

Lindsay said: “Since being told his tumour is terminal, Jamie has declined so quickly. He’s very stubborn and didn’t want to give into it, but he hasn’t had a choice. He hasn’t been able to walk properly or speak for months and is now receiving palliative care at home, with my parents doing everything they can to look after him.

“They care for him attentively 24 hours a day seven days a week, washing and changing him twice daily as he has lost control of everything but the use of his left arm.

“I’m just praying he’s still with us when I do my jump on Saturday because I’ve arranged to have video and photos taken to show him.”

“I feel awful knowing he’s spent most of his adult life having to contend with this disease. It’s just not fair.

“My husband loved my brother to bits, and I know he’s watching over us all right now. I’ll be thinking of both of them when I’m up there.”

Lindsay set up a JustGiving page to raise funds for the Brain Tumour Research Charity.

Regarding the challenge, Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jamie’s sad story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours. They can affect anyone at any age and kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

“However, just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Lindsay for taking on this challenge for us and hope she has an enjoyable jump on Saturday.”