Blind pensioner skydiving in aid of Stoke Mandeville Hospital
Elsie Hambrook with her guide dog Yasmin
The prospect of a charity skydive would be daunting for most people, but a blind pensioner is taking it all in her stride.
Elsie Hambrook,70, of Cannock Road, Aylesbury is skydiving at The Hinton Airfield in Northampton on Sunday to raise money for Guide Dogs UK and the eye unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Elsie has been under the care of Larry Benjamin, an ophthalmologist at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for many years.
At the age of five, she contracted meningitis and as a result of the illness her vision was impaired.
Elsie said: “I’d like to help them as much as I can really, but about £1,000 would be good.
“The hospital has done a lot for me, I wanted to give something back.”
Elsie is no stranger to hurling herself airborne from planes. She said: “I had never been in a plane until my first skydive and realised that the only way was down. I was elated when I had completed the first one. Skydives never get easier, you just have to go with the flow. It’s just something feel I have to do.”
Her family and staff from Stoke Mandeville Hospital will be supporting her on the day.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North west
