A 17-YEAR-OLD girl has skydived from a plane in support of the charity which helped her younger brother.

Reece Fowler, 12, from Huntington, was born with a heart condition called Double Inlet Left Ventricle (DILV), which means he only has three heart chambers instead of four.

The condition has meant Reece has had three open heart surgeries - the first at one week old - and will need a heart and lung transplant when he is older.

Throughout his treatments, Reece and his family have benefited from the support and work of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, which supports the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit based at Leeds Teaching Hospital, inspiring Jade to do a skydive to raise funds.

Jade said: "The charity and the heart units at the LGI mean everything to me and my family. They have saved my brother’s life, and helped him have the childhood he deserves. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me and my family. When my brother was in hospital over Christmas they bought him a big bag of presents and made him feel so comfortable.

"I have had the skydive planned for over a year. I wasn't scared until I started putting the equipment on, and when the plane was taking off. I was too scared to jump, I didn't think I was going to go ahead with it. However, I knew I had to so I did it for my brother. The hardest part for me was sitting on the edge of the plane before I jumped. The best part was the free fall and seeing the views."

Jade, who studies childcare at York College, has raised £460 so far for the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund which funds equipment, staff posts, resources and training for those who work on the heart wards.

Reece, a pupil at Huntington school, loves playing football, especially being a goal keeper. He also plays basketball for the school team.

To help Jade reach her fundraising target, visit https://www.justgiving.com/Jade-Linch1