A KIND-HEARTED mum-of-two is gearing up to strap herself to the wing of plane in a daring attempt to help children with life-limiting conditions.
Teaching assistant Sarah Pearce, from Middlewich, will be completing a wing-walk on Monday, August 19, to raise money for the JUMP Children's Charity.
Founded in 2004, the Warrington-based charity aims to support families of children with life-limiting conditions, by creating special memories for them and a sense of community.
Sarah, who is no stranger to supporting charities having raised £3,000 for The Joshua Tree when she Braved the Shave, is nervously excited for the experience.
The 36-year-old said: "About six years ago I did a sky dive for The Christie and I thought what could be worse than that - definitely strapping myself to a plane.
“I’m absolutely terrified, I’m OK with take-offs and being in the air, but plane landings generally scare me.
"It's going to be worse on the outside of the plane, so I’m slightly nervous to say the least."
Sarah became aware of JUMP and the work the charity does through the professional face-painting business she runs as well as being a full-time teaching assistant.
She added: "I met a little boy called Link who got Spider-Man face paint. He had cancer and he and his family all got painted with two hearts followed by his name on their wrists.
"A few months later I had a call from his father who asked me to paint at Link’s memorial service. For the family to have those memories to look back on is the reason I stay with JUMP.
"It is a lovely charity. They hold events for families to have a lovely time and they then create photo books that the families can keep forever."
Sarah has now worked with JUMP for more than two years and she has since got her own children involved with the charity too.
Her son, 10-year-old Oscar, joined Sarah at a JUMP event when no child care was available and the charity ‘immediately brought him into the group’.
Now Sarah’s daughter Anna, aged 14, also helps out with events where she can.
Thinking of her family, Sarah said: “I know how much can be said with a photograph and so I can see how important the work JUMP does can be.
“They leave families with lasting memories."
Sarah is also supporting JUMP with a raffle on her Facebook page where prizes like chocolates are up for grabs.
She hopes to raise a minimum of £600 from the wing walk, and has already managed to raise more than half of that goal through her fundraising page here.
Sarah's partner Brandan Smith, his mum Tracie, and Anna and Oscar, will be watching her terrifying flight at The Wing Walk Company at Wickenby Aerodrome in Lincoln.
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