A group of tradesmen in Frome will complete a 15,000-foot skydive next month to raise funds for four charities which supported a local girl following major surgery.
The group of 13 will complete the skydive on 22nd May at Old Sarum Airfield in Salisbury, aiming to raise £1,000 for the charities which supported Nancy Groves when she underwent heart surgery and trachea reconstruction at Great Ormond Street Hospital in May 2025 when she was just 18 months old.
The funds raised will go to The Grand Appeal at Bristol Children’s Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Western Air Ambulance Charity and The Sick Children’s Trust.
Nancy’s dad, Ian Groves, said, “After just over two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, we were admitted to a recovery ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital before finishing Nancy’s recovery at Bath Royal United Hospital.
“Post-op, Nancy experienced three episodes of not being able to breathe resulting in three 999 calls and blue-light transfers to Bristol Children’s Hospital. During our third stay in Bristol, a CT scan showed extreme narrowing in her airway. This led to an air ambulance transfer from Bristol to Great Ormond Street. Nancy underwent another procedure to remove granulation from her airway which was causing the blockage.
“We had one final stay in Bristol after her procedure due to swelling in her airway caused by the procedure.
“Nancy has made an amazing recovery and surprises us every day with her fantastic progress.”
Doing the skydive for the first time, Nancy’s grandad, Rob Groves, who was a local carpenter for 50 years, said, “I am terrified. We are all doing it together so we are all in the same boat so we can put on a brave face and think about the cause.”
Following Nancy’s recovery, the family say they are now fully focused on learning more about her condition – Mosaic Down’s syndrome – a rare form of Down’s syndrome.
To support the group in their fundraising mission, visit https://shorturl.at/n6ATY
