A mother-of-two who was scared of heights for years has overcome her fear by taking part in a skydive to help raise money for a Woodford Green hospice, which helps her care for her disabled son.

Maxine Davies, 28, decided to raise money for Haven House, in High Road, to thank staff for the help her family have received ever since her 6-year-old son, Kai, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, was a baby.

Maxine, of New North Road, Hainault, completed the skydive challenge last month, raising £500, alongside her brother and partner.

She said: “I wanted to do something to say thank you to the team at Haven House for all the support and care they have given to Kai and our family.

“I’ve always been scared of heights and I wanted to do something to help me overcome that fear so thought I should do a skydive. People thought I’d gone mad.”

The fundraising event was also organised to coincide with the hospice’s tenth anniversary.

Maxine said: “When the hospice was first mentioned to me to give me have some respite as Kai needs 24 hour care and is wheelchair bound, I thought it would be a horrible place and was extremely dubious.

“But when I first arrived I was put at ease and it is such a lovely place. Kai loves being there and gets annoyed when I pick him up. They even help my daughter. The staff are brilliant and go out of their way to be welcoming.”

Mike Palfreman, chief executive of the hospice, added: “We’re extremely grateful to all who fundraise in our local community, but it’s particularly inspiring when one of our parents decides to raise money for us, so a big thank you to Maxine.”

For more information on the hospice, please visit www.havenhouse.org.uk.