A CARING teenager has jumped at the chance to throw herself out of a plane to raise funds for a charity close to her heart.

Hollie French, of Sedgefield, County Durham, is set to skydive from 15,000ft to help fund research into Parkinson’s disease after her grandmother Dorothy Bell was diagnosed with the debilitating condition.

The 19-year-old, who is in her second year studying a human biosciences degree at Northumbria University, will make the tandem jump on Saturday, August 29 from Shotton Airfield, Peterlee.

“I’ve wanted to skydive for a while and I also wanted to raise money for Parkinson’s UK so it made sense to put the two together and do the jump for charity,” said Hollie, whose boyfriend’s grandfather also suffers from the neurological condition.

“Obviously it is a very personal charity to me but I don’t think many people are aware of what Parkinson’s disease actually is. Hopefully I can help to raise more awareness of the condition.”

The progressive neurological disease affects about 127,000 people in the UK causing shaking, stiffness and reduced mobility for which there is no cure.

“My initial target was £300 but I have already managed to raise £400 in sponsorship,” said Hollie.

To make a donation, log on to justgiving.com/Hollie-French/